Pieces of my heart
by yukihime211
Summary: Meet Sakuya Mazaki as she enters the realm of rich Ouran students. There, she meets the ever eccentric Host Club. From the start, she gets on the wrong foot with the ever problematic twins. But from the hate relationship, will love bloom?
1. Chapter 1

_**Little Pieces of My Heart**_

By: Carla Pena

**Introduction**

Long light brown hair bounced softly in its high ponytail. Ocean blue eyes sparkled magically while being framed with long dark eyelashes. Her tone of skin was a pale complexion that seemed like she never got out into the sun. The young woman looked about fifteen and was quite petite and only standing at 5'0. She walked silently out of the airport wearing white capris and a pink t-shirt. The young woman wore lace up style open toed shoes that were white and had a slight heel. The crowded airport glanced over at the girl. A few felt their faces warm and wondered if she were a model with her nice body and flawless looks. The girl looked silent and serious. Her name was Mazaki Sakuya. The half Japanese and half European girl coming home after her leave to New York.

**Chapter 1**

**Food Fight**

I walked inside the room full of rich kids in class 1-A. Ouran high school is a whole school filled with heirs and wealthy children of Japan's high class adults. Now, I was one of them. It wasn't supposed to turn out this way, but the sudden fame that took over my father had just upgraded us from middle class status to royalty. When I mean royalty, I mean **royalty.** Since my father the sensible one didn't go all bonkers like most people when they win the lottery, he used it in investment and two years later, we are on easy street. **No** my father did not win the lottery. To put it simply, it was...work related. My past life of being a nobody and middle classed somehow was etched out of my life so I could fit in with this group of kids. I had been away from Japan for two whole years when the whole fiasco took place with my father's job, so I was back and a new kid with a clean slate. Things would be great, if only I had courage. To put it simply, I'm pretty shy as well as quiet and always try to blend in with everyone. I'm not the smartest person around and usually keep my secrets and life to myself. I looked around nervously hoping that I wouldn't make myself look like an idiot in front of the class. A teacher glanced up at me and smiled broadly.

"Class, we have a new student joining us this morning. This is Mazaki Sakuya. She just arrived back from New York in the United States a few weeks ago. Please make her feel welcome," said the overzealous teacher.

I sighed quietly and looked around searchingly. People glanced at me as if expecting me to say something. I blushed.

"Hi. I hope we get to know each other better these coming years," I said.

Everyone smiled in approval. I sighed in relief. I felt a tug on my lips which formed a sliver of a smile. A boy a few feet away glanced over in curiosity. He had large chocolate eyes and a mop of dark brown hair. He was about my height and nodded.

"Well Miss Mazaki, I suggest you gather up your things and go sit next to our class scholarship student Fujioka Haruhi," explained the teacher pointing to the boy with the large brown eyes.

I nodded and walked over in my yellow cotton dress with the powder blue ribbon tied near the collar of the dress. It was cute...I guess. My favorite part was the stockings though. I sat in my new desk and looked over at Haruhi. He smiled easy going and outstretched his hand.

"I'm Haruhi Fujioka, as you heard from our Sensei. So, how do you like it here so far?" he asked.

I looked at my hand pensively and shook his hand. I looked up and smiled. I guess I'm not alone here anymore. Not that anyone would know my past, but it was nice seeing someone who was just a middle class person without the whole snob thing going on. Not that I mean that this class was like that, which wasn't the case.

"A pleasure to meet you. Uh, I guess living in a new town is okay, but its hard to find people who are close to my age," I explained.

He smiled once more. He seemed alright. I prayed silently that we could be friends. The first half of class was all fine, until lunch crawled along. Somehow, Haruhi and I hit it off and became fast friends. I reached into my bag and pulled out my lunch. It was homemade by none other than myself. Haruhi took out his and we were about to start eating when **they** came along. A few of the girls walked over to me. A girl with short brown hair in a type of bob cut and a girl with long straight hair with two small pigtails came over. They smiled over at Haruhi as well as myself.

"Hi Mazaki-san. I'm Momoka Kuragano, and this girl is Sana Motamiya," explained the girl with long hair.

I looked down at the roster I recieved that morning and came up with her being vice president.

"It's nice to meet you as well," I said politely.

She smiled cheerfully.

"So, was New York as marvelous as the Macy's Festival? My mother was the one to decide that it would be so grand to visit all the stores where our clothing brand has been sold to see how commerce was going," explained Sana.

Really interesting. I never knew there was so much I haven't explored over in New York. Mostly, I took to not going out often, seeing as it is pretty dangerous to be out at night. I nodded in understanding, even if it didn't apply to me.

"Well, I didn't go to the Macy's Festival since I had to acompany my father to his work in order to...help with the business, but I really liked all the clothing stores that were in New York There was so many unique

patterns and styles," I explained.

Hina nodded in approval. Momoka-san laughed softly.

"Forgive me, but Sana-chan has an obsession with clothing, so most girls tend to run at the sound of her voice and nonstop lecture," explained Momoka-san.

A small puff of air escapes my lips as I try to contain my giggles. I looked out the window and quietly stroked my hair which was in a high ponytail. These were some strange people. Not at all like I pictured the stereotypical rich kid. These were just really happy go lucky people. Sana looked at me with wide eyes.

"You have a pretty smile," she commented.

I looked at her in surprise. I looked away feeling slightly embarrassed. Guess I let my face slip for a second. I look back and sighed softly. I looked back and a small curve of a smile was planted on my face.

"Thank you," I said sincerely.

From out of nowhere, a loud and chorused voice pierced the room.

"Yo, Haruhi," called out a sing song voice of a male.

I looked over to see two guys walking over to Haruhi's desk. I looked closely to see double. Twins huh? Light brown hair with one side parted right and the other on the left. They both had on a mischevious looking grin. Their honey colored eyes gleamed with trouble. Haruhi glanced over at the twins. He sighed.

"Hey. What's up guys?" he asked.

The twins looked over at me and looked over at Haruhi. They nodded.

"So, is this your new girlfriend?" asked one twin with his hair parted to the right.

Haruhi groaned. He looked slightly annoyed.

"I hardly think that has any relevance with why you came here," he said simply.

That was a sly way of avoiding the question. He could have just gone out and said that we were just....what were we? Not friends...just maybe desk neighbors. Sana listened intently. What was up with that? This isn't something that concerns her. Momoka-san had left in a hurry looking slightly...sad?

"Come eat lunch with us at the cafeteria," the twins chorused.

Haruhi shook his head. He looked over at me.

"I can't afford half the stuff on the menu so what's the point? Besides, I was planning to eat

lunch with Mazaki-san," explained Haruhi.

Woah. Talk about blunt. I looked over nervously at the twins. They looked unfazed. Huh. Must be best friends or something to not go all out angry on him. The twin with the hair parted on the left looked at me once more and smiled.

"Let's go. We're taking her with us so you've got no excuse," said the one with hair parted on the right.

I looked at him with slight anger but shook it off and didn't feel like I wanted to interfere with their relationship.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I'd much rather stay here," I looked over at Haruhi. "There is no reason you shouldn't go with your friends just because of me. I'll be fine on my own," I explained.

Haruhi looked stoic for quite some time. The twins began to get impatient and grabbed my lunch. Haruhi snapped out of it and looked at the twins in shock. I looked over in even bigger surprise. What...the...heck was up with these two? Did bad reputation really not matter to them? Haruhi stood up and the twins took off with my lunch. I sat in my seat dumbfounded. I just had my lunch jacked by a couple of rich guys...I banged my head on my desk.

"Ouch!" I cried out softly.

Haruhi looked at me in concern.

"Are you okay Mazaki-san?" he asked.

I sighed and nodded. My stomach grumbled in complaint. Haruhi looked at me. I blushed.

_"Thanks to those two, I'm probably going to pass out from hunger. I didn't even get to eat breakfast since I woke up so late! I'll probably be looked down upon for my gurgling stomach,"_ I thought.

Haruhi stood from his desk.

"Looks like we should go after those two. Who knows what they've done with you lunch by now. Besides, do you really want to go through the rest of the day without eating?" asked Haruhi.

I stood and smiled. I bowed slightly.

"Thank you Fujioka-kun," I said.

He scratched his cheek slightly with his index finger in embarrassement. Before we left, Haruhi handed me a small plastic bag with baby carrots in them. I took one and chewed slowly as we made our way to the cafeteria. As I entered the double doors. My eyes widened in amazement. It looked very similar to any ordinary cafateria, only with better tables and silverware. This place reminded me of an expensive restaurant. I scanned the cafeteria for those two idiotic brothers, but just couldn't find them anywhere. Suddenly, I felt a looming presence behind me. I glanced behind me slowly. A pair of arms encircled my waist and pulled me up. They were guy hands for sure. He squeezed my side which made me squeal out involuntarily. The cafeteria went silent and everyone looked over in surprise. I gasped and covered my mouth. I looked up to see one of the twins grabbing me from behind. His hair was parted to the right..or was it the left?

"Caught ya'!" cried out the twin.

I looked up at the towering guy. Was he like 5'9 or something? For a someone who isn't used to labor, he had an easy time picking me up.

"What are you doing?" I asked trying to calm my pounding heart.

He reached out one hand and cupped my chin. He turned my head from side to side. He looked like he was having a hard time trying to figure something out.

"Making sure you don't run away," he explained.

Like that was going to happen. I just came here to get my lunch back. He set me down on the ground and dragged me to a table where his brother and Haruhi were already sitting at. He looked at me apoligetically. I nodded and took my seat at the table.

"Could I get my lunch back now?" I asked.

The brothers looked at eachother and mirrored one look: Laughter. I looked over at Haruhi who just shrugged in what was the matter with these two. I rest my head on the table and grumble angry remarks under my breath. One with hair parted to the left looked at me and stopped laughing.

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that lunch is long gone," said the one with right parted hair.

I gaped at them in surprise. What..had...they...done?

"Where is it?" I asked quietly.

The twins looked at eachother.

"We ate it," answered the left parted twin.

My lunch had just gone down the throats of two brats and now here I was...starving. Haruhi rubbed his temples. For the first time in my life, I actually felt like biting the heads of these guys. I had just come to a serious conclusion about these two. I hated them.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Little Pieces of My Heart**_

Hi. ^-^ I'm Yukihime211. This is my first time posting something on fanfiction. Sorry if my story sucks and might sound random at times, but it was pretty late when I thought this up. Disclaimer:Do not own any of Ouran except my OC's. Some of the people might sound AU so sorry.

****

Chapter 2

Clubs Better Left Unsaid

My stomach gurgled throughout the day. Stupid twins. I could have gotten a lunch from the cafeteria, but then the bell rang to go back to class. I walked alone back to class feeling like crap. It seemed to me that those two were trying to seperate Haruhi from me. Huh. Jealousy? Well, if that's what they wanted, I'd grant it to them. I vowed that I would never go near these guys again. I took my seat on my desk and waited for class to start. When the twins walked inside the classroom, I glared at them with pure anger. It seemed to me that they didn't care. I sighed and waited for the next teacher to arrive to start the lesson for the last three classes. Haruhi sat next to me and glanced over.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked.

I looked at him and shook my head. I turned away. He looked at me in concern and I felt bad for treating him like this, but I just wasn't going to get involved. For the remaider of the day, I kept to my work, but every once in a while, a shiver would pass through my body. I tried my hardest to ignore the leer, but I was feeling kind of sick after a while. So I looked back to see the twins looking at me. I shuddered. What had I done to deserve this?

After class...

I grabbed my backpack and headed for the door, when a hand stopped me. I looked back in curiosity. Haruhi looked directly at me.

"Mazaki-san, wait. I need to talk to you," he said.

I looked over in surprise. I glanced out the window to see my limo waiting patiently.

"What is it?" I asked.

He sighed heavily and took me over to a corner. He looked both ways and then looked directly at me.

"I'm sorry that Hikaru and Kaoru gave you trouble. They just...can't help themselves. So, I hope you don't hold anything against them," explained Haruhi.

I looked at him in surprise. This guy really is perceptive on things. I looked away guiltily. Too late to say that. Wait...why would he tell me this in private? I bet there is more that he's not telling me.

"Is that all you needed to tell me?" I asked.

Haruhi gulped. There was something he was hiding, but I wouldn't press. I sighed and took out my cellphone. I'd better tell my driver to pull up to the entrance. My deprived stomach was starting to act up, and my energy level was at its pits.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

I glanced up at him. How is it that my questions are ignored and his are to be answered? Oh well. What is the worst that could happen.

"To be honest, I really hate those twins. My stomach is killing me! I just want to get home and go to sleep. My energy level is like, below zero. So, I'm calling my driver to pull up in the entrance," I explained.

He looked out the window and then at me. He nodded.

"Why don't you stick around for a while? I want to make it up to you for having to deal with the twins. I have club after classes, so maybe you can get something to eat over there. They always have snacks like little sandwiches and tea," explained Haruhi.

I looked at him skeptically. Just what type of club served those kind of things? A tea party club? I giggled softly. I silently pictured the twins being in this club wearing dresses and surrounded by dolls on the child-like table.

"What type of club is it?" I asked.

Haruhi gave me a strange look and beckoned me to follow him. I looked at him in puzzlement.

"I'd rather...not say. But you'll know when we get there," he explained.

I nodded and followed him as he led me through various wing until we stopped at a room that read:Music Room 3. A band club? That isn't something to be so hush-hush about. I glanced at him in questioning.

"What's so strange about a band club?" I asked.

He shook his head. He opened the doors and standing there, were six guys posing and wearing rather...lavicous clothing. My head spinned,

"Welcome! 3 ^-^" they called out.

I searched the room and my eyes widened when they fell upon two very **familiar** people. Those stupid and troublesome twins. My mouth stretched open in surprise. I looked over at Haruhi. I might have been hungry, but now my appetite diminished. I took a step back. And turned to leave.

"Bye!" I called out as I made my way out the door.

A guy with blonde hair and violet colored eyes walked over and smiled.

"Leaving so soon, Princess?" asked the guy.

He looked about 5'10. He looked like he belonged to one of those host clubs. Wait....was **this** a host club? Oh...my...God.

"Haruhi? Is this...a....host club?" I whispered.

Haruhi nodded. I felt my knees weaken and I wobbled slightly. A steady hand swiftly came from behind. A tall guy wearing glasses with pitch black hair looked down at me.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I looked closely to see that all of the young men in the club were very handsome. I blushed. A little boy carrying a stuffed bunny walked over to me. He had light brown hair and big brown eyes. He smiled and looked at me with slight concern.

"Are you okay kawaii-chan?" he asked cutely.

Did he just call me cute? I nodded slightly and sat in a chair. An older guy with spiky black hair and kind looking eyes sat next to me. Not the most talkative, I see. My head throbbed slightly as the twins sauntered over in order to stir mischief. One grabbed the back of my ponytail and pulled slightly. My head tipped back. I fumed silently but tried my best to ignore these guys.

"Gentlemen! That is no way to treat a guest. Apoligize at once for hurting her delicate head," commanded the blonde haired guy.

The twins just shrugged,

"Why should we? We just found our new toy. Don't think we're giving it up that easily," the two said in unison.

My stomach gurggled in hunger. Everyone glanced at me. I blushed and turned away from their gaze.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

The Host Club crowded.

"What's wrong princess? Haven't you eaten anything?" mocked the twins.

My eyes sharpened and I glared deathly at the twins.

"Are you familiar with anorexia? Its a common disease that kills about 20% of the population of young women in their teens. Don't really understand the reason when they easily could get liposuction and eat right," said the Megane.

My eyes widened. He thought I was an anorexic. The blonde boy walked up to me and clutched my hands. Tears streamed down his face in sadness.

"Please stop hurting yourself my kitten. You do not need to feel such disgust to yourself when you are a vision of glory and so willowy. The thought of you being in pain stabs me in the heart with great grief," he said.

My blood pressure was rising. Haruhi thankfully intervened.

"She's not anorexic. Her lunch was confiscated and then shoved into Hikaru and Kaoru's stomachs. Then the bell rang to go to class, so she never got a chance to eat. That is why I invited her to come over and maybe get some tea in her system," he explained.

The blonde glared at the twins.

"This might not be my business, but who are you guys? I know the twins and Haruhi, but I don't recall ever seeing you guys," I explained.

The princely character smiled.

"Call me whatever you like and I will follow you to the ends of time. Suoh Tamaki, you may call me the King," he said taking a small bow.

The megane smiled a somewhat chilling smile. I shivered even if he was trying to give off a happy aura.

"I'm Ohtori Kyoya as well as the club's vice President," he explained with glinting glasses.

The little boy smiled cutely and posed with a peace sign. The bunny never left his arms.

"I'm Haninozuka Mitsukuni. But everyone calls me Hunny! This guy with the spiky hair is Morinozuka Takashi, but most people call him Mori," he said with Takashi nodding.

As I thought. Not much of a talker. The twins posed mirror wise and glanced sideways.

"I'm Hikaru," said the one with hair parted on the right.

The other grinned and winked flirtatiously.

"I'm Kaoru," said the one with the hair parted on the left.

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't care," I said softly.

The two looked at me in mock horror. The two wrapped their arms around me and on each side of my ear held their mouths close and bit it softly. I squealed and pushed them away. The two laughed hysterically. Was everything a joke to these jerks? I stood up and a fresh case of the woozies made my head throb. I **so **needed to get out of here. Tamaki pushed me down to take a seat and Haruhi came in with a tray of tea and small triangular shaped finger sandwiches. My face brightened as he set down the tray. I placed both my hands together and said a small prayer.

"Itadakimasu," I whispered.

I took a sandwich and took a small bite. I really didn't want to rush things as I don't want to experience a stomach ache. Everyone looked at me as if I were some freak show.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

Tamaki leaned one one of the chairs and stared into my eyes smiling.

"Not at all. It is just, seeing you eat like that makes you look like a natural," he explained.

I blushed and set the sandwich down. My stomach rumbled in protest.

"Don't mind Tamaki. He's an idiot, so he doesn't know what he's saying sometimes," explained Haruhi.

I picked up my food and continued eating.

"Are you by chance a model?" asked Kyoya suddenly.

I gulped. What was with this guy?

"I guess I am sort of like one. I've posed for a couple of movie posters back in New York when I was a kid, but that was a long time ago," I explained.

Hunny looked at me with awe.

"By the way, what's your name?" asked Hunny.

I contemplated if my name should be revealed to these...very excentic bunch. I sighed and just winged it.

"My name is Sakuya Mazaki," I said truthfully.

Kyoya nodded and looked over his laptop.

"Ah yes. Mazaki-kohai. Hmm. Interesting profile you have here. Seems like only your current progress reports are from two years back. I assume there is an explanation for that?" he asked.

My mouth was clamped shut. I cautiously looked over at the bunch. Could I trust them with my secret? Probably not. Might as well not get involved with these guys if I know what is good for me.

"Isn't that supposed to be personal information? Does it really concern you anyways?" I asked.

He looked at me with an arched brow. Haruhi looked slightly surprised. The twins grinned and looked at me with shining eyes. I shuddered with slight fear.

"Do you have something to hide?" asked Hikaru.

I turned away and walked to the door without a second glance. I had to get out of here before things get out of hand.

"Takashi," said Hunny.

I glanced back slightly to see Mori nod and took long strides in my direction. He ran to the door and blocked my only escape. What was up with these people? I spun around and looked at the bunch. I needed to get out of here and now.

"What do you want from me? Just because you don't have much information from me, you think I'm automatically a bad person or that something is wrong with me, but that isn't the case," I explained.

Everyone stared in silence, I turned to Mori and passed from under his arms and flipped out my cell phone as I made my way out the hallway.

***

As Sakuya took off abruptly from the Host Club, everyone stood dumbfounded. Haruhi sat on the chair.

"Well, you don't see someone like that everyday," she said.

Hunny looked slightly teary.

"Do you think we were too pushy? She seemed really mad," said Hunny.

Mori looked down and saw an id card lying abandoned on the ground. He picked it up.

"What do you have there, Mori?" asked Tamaki.

Mori handed it to Tamaki and everyone crowed to see the id card. Tamaki grinned and blushed.

"Cute. It's Sakuya-chan as a middle school first year," said Tamaki.

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at the school and they grinned. Haruhi gulped. Sakuya Mazaki was in for a load of problems.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Little Pieces of My Heart**_

Hi again. ^-^ Thanks to everyone that read my story. Sorry. I know this sucks and most people would rather read something that focuses more on the actual characters instead of an OC, but to those that continue to read, thanks. Disclaimer:Do not own any of Ouran except my OC's. Some of the people might sound AU so sorry.

********

Chapter 3

Suprise Visitor

I arrived to my house (more like mansion.) and was greeted by my maids who took my things and took me into the kitchen for something to eat. I quietly ate on my own. (As usual.) I sighed softly and looked out the window in wonder.

"What is wrong young mistress?" asked Yoneko.

She looked down at me with concern. She was about thirty and the only one I really could talk to in confidence since the whole change of lifestyle began. Her dark brown hair and eyes the exact caramel color. I sighed and rubbed my temples slowly.

"Well, I was having a great time but-," I started.

Yoneko put up her arm in confidence.

"Do not tell me. A boy started teasing you," she inferred.

I nodded slowly.

"Substitute **_A_ to ****_two _boys teasing me. Can you believe they ****snatched** my lunch and I had to go the whole day with an** empty stomach**?" I explained.

Yoneko grinned slightly amused.

"**Two boys** you say? Well aren't **you **a popular target," she said giggling.

I rolled my eyes.

"That is **hardly** something to be proud of. Those **twins** are just **obnoxious** and they have no sense of **manners**! They think that I'm a **doll** they can play with until they get **bored **of me," I said with anger.

Yoneko looked even more amused and slightly bit more excited.

"**Twins** you say? My that is unusual. So, why were you running late today? Did they keep you away from the door so long?" she asked.

I sighed. I hadn't even started. I took a cup of hot chocolate.

"I think you should have a seat. What I'm about to tell you is going to really surprise you ," I explained.

She looked slightly alarmed and sat on the edge of the seat with anticipation.

"Let me tell you a little about a friend I made today and then everything will make sense," I said.

***

The twins at the moment were snickering with pleasure at what they had just discovered. Sakuya was going to be so miserable when she arrived to school that morning if they had anything to do with it. Sure, they didn't have that much to go on, but they would manage to just improvise if the time came. Haruhi worried silently if Sakuya would manage to get through the torture that she was sure the twins were scheming for tomorrow. The customers looked over in curiosity at the twins. Those who knew them looked slightly worried about what the two were plotting. Kyoya sat at a table and looking annoyed at the twins since he knew that this would lower the customer quota that they usually held. Sakuya was 100% in the line of fire for both Kyoya and the twins. Kyoya's glasses glinted as a plan was forming in his mind.

"I'm worried. What is going to happen to Sakuya when Kyoya and the twins get through with her?" questioned Haruhi quietly.

Tamaki popped out of nowhere and looked at her in curiosity.

"What do you mean Haruhi?" he asked.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. This guy really isn't that observant, was he?

"Never mind. Oh, Tamaki, there are a few of your customers waiting for you," pointed out Haruhi.

Tamaki perked up and walked over to his table of girls ready to woo them with compliments and...rather too close contact. Haruhi sighed. Maybe she should warn Sakuya tomorrow, just in case there was any trouble tomorrow. Wait...what was she thinking? Of course there was going to be trouble. Well, she had to find Sakuya fast, or else humiliation was going to be set on her shoulders for the rest of her high school life here at Ouran. Haruhi walked over to Mori and prayed no one would hear her.

"Hey Mori. Could I have a look at the id card you found earlier?" she asked.

Mori nodded and rustled through his pockets until he handed Haruhi the card. She took it and looked it over. There was no current information on it. Just the residents of Sakuya's last house. Suddenly, she felt a piece of paper stuck firmly on the card. She pulled it off slowly and looked at it in surprise. The current address of Sakuya Mazaki had just been found. She pocketed the information in her coat and walked over to Kyoya.

"Hey Kyoya? I was wondering if I could leave a bit early," said Haruhi.

Kyoya absentmindly nodded and checked off Haruhi. She grabbed her things sneakily and walked out the door. She glanced at the paper once more and took the subway to her destination.

***

The doorbell rang after my conversation with Yoneko had ended. I sighed and looked over rather annoyed. I fluffed my hair slightly as I made my way over to the door. But, before I got the chance to answer it, one of my maids opened the door. She looked slightly surprised. Who could it be? I walked over to see a boy with the Ouran uniform amd large brown eyes. It was Haruhi Fujioka. My eyes widened.

"Fujioka-kun?" I asked.

He smiled sheepishly. He looked around and he whistled softly.

"Hello again, Mazaki-san. Sorry for intruding," he said in slight embarrassment.

I smiled. Well, I don't know how he found my house number, but he seems harmless enough.

"Please come in. You must be tired from the long walk," I observed.

He nodded and walked in. He took off his shoes and set them down skillfully facing the door. A maid came to him and handed him a pair of slippers. The two of us walked silently towards the living room. A big flat screen TV was towering like a mini movie theater. The couches were comfortable and a black carpet-like rug made for this room left as an..entertainment room for guests my age, perhaps. I sat comfortably on one of the single seats. I glanced over at Haruhi.

"Have a seat," I said smiling.

He sat akwardly on one of the seats close to mine.

"So, what brings you here?" I asked disarmingly.

He fidgeted slightly and looked up.

"Well...it is about the...twins," he said.

My face lost its smile and I looked at him with a slight glare.

"What about them?" I asked.

He sighed softly as if he was trying to sort things out without alarming me.

"Let me put it this way. Since Kyoya has no information on your...uhm past life, the guys were acting up and-" he started.

I looked at him curiously. Just what was he trying to say? My cellphone began to vibrate violently and I took it out of my bag. I blushed slightly.

"Please forgive me, but I must take this call," I said.

He nodded silently. I walked out of the room and into the hallway. I intook a long breath and tapped the ok button.

"Yes?" I asked quietly.

The line was silent for a while, but then a brisk voice boomed into the speaker.

***

Haruhi sat akwardly in the fancy room. She had never been inside a real **mansion** before. Sure, the guys had invited her to their houses lots of times, but she managed to slip away unnoticed. A maid walked in and saw her sitting there just waiting.

"Good afternoon, Fujioka-kun. I am Yoneko Oishiara," she said warmly.

Haruhi looked in surprise.

"How did she know my name?" she wondered.

Yoneko laughed heartily.

"Oh, forgive my lack of formality. You must be wondering how I know you when you don't know me. Well, the young miss was just talking about you," explained Yoneko.

Haruhi blushed slightly.

"Oh, well. It is nice meeting you. Uh, so where are Mazaki-san's parents?" asked Haruhi.

Yoneko got silent. She looked out the window. She looked slightly pensive. Then, she looked over at Haruhi once more.

"It might not seem like it, but the young miss is awfully lonely. Her father is away on a business trip that might take a few months, so we take care of her. When I mean we, I mean the staff," she explained.

Haruhi sat down and took it all in. So, she knew the feeling of lonliness as well. She knew there was a connection. The tapping of heels deafeaned the hallways. The two winced. A woman wearing way too much makeup and a slightly skimpy dress walked in and plopped herself on the chair. Haruhi looked at her questionly. The woman looked over at Haruhi and Yoneko.

"What? Is there something wrong with my face?" she asked.

Out of nowhere, in came Sakuya with her face red as a tomato.

***

I stormed in to find my aunt Reina sitting on my couch. I gasped. What was she doing here?

"Aunt Reina! What are you doing here?" I asked quietly.

She stood up and ran to hug me tightly.

"How are you doing dumpling? My has it already been two years since I last saw you? Well, you sure have grown up to become such a lovely young woman," she greeted.

She still hadn't answered my question and I glanced over to see Haruhi staring curiously. I blushed in embarrassment and walked over to Haruhi.

"Please forgive all the interuptions. There are some things that I don't have control over and that would be my aunt Reina," I whispered into his ear.

Haruhi nodded and looked at his watch.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but I think I should get going. I need to go to the market to pick up some groceries for my dad," he said.

I nodded, but then got an idea. I smiled slightly and glanced over at my cellphone.

"Why don't you let me give you a ride home. You must have taken the subway to get here. Usually, around this time, they should be pretty crowded," I explained.

He looked at me with surprise.

"How would you know that?" he asked.

I looked away and glanced at the father clock in the dining hall. He thought it over and then looked like he had figured it out. I gulped.

"I've got it. You must be like Tamaki. He's obsessed with doing things the 'commoner way' and exploring weird places," he hypothesised.

I fell on my side in disbelief. Haruhi rushed to my aid and I dusted off my dress. I scratch my cheek with my right index finger in wonder. This guy was somewhat dense, no? I brushed off the thought and escorted Haruhi to the door.

"Well, I guess you could say that its something like that. I won't press anymore, but I hope you will let me help you. You are the first friend I've made at Ouran," I said quietly.

He smiled and nodded. I smiled back. I called my driver and the two of us left the house to reach the stationary car. Aunt Reina waved wildly as if calling me back. There was no way that I would go back with Haruhi so that she would blab and embarrass me. I look back at him.

"So, what's your address?" I asked.

He gave me the directions, which I repeated to the driver. He nodded and the car went silent once more. Haruhi looked at me silently.

"Aren't you curious about the situation that just occurred?" I asked.

He looked back towards my house.

"You just look like you don't want to talk about it," he explained.

I smiled. For the remainder of the car ride, there was silence. Half an hour later, the car stopped and my driver looked back.

"We have arrived," he said.

I walked out with Haruhi and I looked around. The streets were littered with children playing and across the street was an apartment with paint peeling slightly. It wasn't poverty, but it was nothing I ever had to go through. I turned to Haruhi with a small smile.

"So, is this where you live?" I asked.

He nodded. He grabbed his bag and walked towards his house, when a girl about eight grabbed a hold of my dress. I looked down and knelt to be face to face with the girl. She had pigtails and dark brown eyes.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

She blushed.

"Are you a model? What are you doing out all the way here?" she asked.

I scratched my cheek slightly. I put on my shiniest smile and stood to do a little twirl. I winked and pointed out my index finger to point at her.

"Yup. I'm just here to leave my friend and then head **straight** to the agency," I fibbed.

She gasped in amazement and ran to her mother with news of actually meeting a model. I sighed and flipped my hair. Haruhi looked at me in amazement.

"So, are you really a model and still working?" he asked.

I shook my head and stared off slightly starry eyed.

"As I said before, that was a long time ago. But, sorry about that display. I can get a little carried away when it comes to little kids," I explained.

"You like children?" he asked.

I nodded and smiled. I covered my mouth to keep in the giggle.

"They're just so cute and easy to tease," I explained.

He looked at me oddly, but then smiled. He waved goodbye and made his way into his apartment and walked up the stairs to get to his apartment number. I turned away and walked back to my car. The driver closed the door and looked back at me with a sigh.

"Where would you like me to drive you as of now?" he asked.

I giggled softly and my eyes twinkled with delight.

"Why don't we pay a little visit to the Motamiya clothing designer department," I said.

Might as well get to know the material if I want to be friends with Sana and she won't be as offended.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Little Pieces of My Heart**_

Hi there. Yukihime211 here. Sorry for not updating sooner. It took me a while to finish chapter 4. Anyway, I'm so happy! Around 40 people read the story on just one day. Thanks for reading. I was really excited. Well, to those that have kept reading, thank you. Hope you enjoy. If not you can let me know. Disclaimer:Do not own any of Ouran except my OC's. Some of the people might sound AU so sorry.

********

Chapter 4

Judgement Day

Haruhi watched the ever surprising Sakuya go from timid, to bossy, to cutesy. At least she wasn't pushy about entering her home like most of the Host Club. She was just firm about getting friends home safe and sound. She wasn't sure about Sakuya acting all cutesy, but maybe that was a misconception. Maybe she was just sweet around kids and wanted to play along with their dreams and thoughts. Overall, this girl seemed pretty shy and quiet. Haruhi felt like she was hiding something and acted so mysterious about conversations having to do with family. Now that Haruhi thought about it, she never got to ask Yoneko about Sakuya's mother. She shook her head and changed out of her school clothes into a pair of dark blue jeans and a polka dot short sleeved blouse with flats and a few hair pins in her hair. All the clothing specially provided from her father. She silently sighed as she thought about how much was spent on this ensemble. Her father got a bit carrried away when it came to her fashion outside of school. She recalled the time he threw a fit because she was just going out wearing baggy sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt with dowdy glasses to buy some medicine from the pharmacy. Haruhi donned on her jacket with her small purse in her pocket. She slithered slowly towards the door and closed it behind her as well as locking the door and made her way down the stairs. Her shoes clicked noisily as she walked down the now empty lot. The clouds were a pale blue and reflected good thoughts. The sun was slowly dyeing the sky a pinkish red. Haruhi hurriedly walked to the grocery store in order to get a good bargain for her food as well as other essentials.

***

Tamaki searched the room frantically.

"Where did Haruhi go?" asked Hikaru.

Tamaki gasped.

"She must have been **kidnapped** by the Yakuza for not being able to pay her bills!" cried out Tamaki.

Hunny got teary eyed and Mori patted his head. The twins rolled their eyes. Kyoya looked at his laptop.

"Calm down Tamaki. I believe she left because she had something to do. Most likely to buy groceries," said Kyoya.

Tamaki sighed in relief as the thought of Haruhi's safety was top priority in his book. The twins looked around boredly. Thankfully, the club was now closed and everyone was preparing to go home. There wasn't much to do without someone to tease. Hunny and Mori waved their goodbyes as the two had family business to attend to. The twins huddled close and whispered to one another plans for the mysterious Sakuya. The end of the day was the most boring one they had ever had. There was no Haruhi to tease or force their whims on her. Everyone ended up going home bored and slightly frustruated. (Mainly, the twins and Kyoya.) The twins thought up of a fool proof plan to get a certain **someone** to come back to the Host Club and play with **her** some more.

***

The next day, I walked out of my house and entered my car and drove off towards Ouran. This would probably be my routine from now on. This whole "rich thing" was still hard to get use to, but in time this would all seem natural. The car stopped and I made my way to the entrance by myself. A few people looked over and waved as if they knew me. Maybe they did. I waved slightly and just sighed. I entered the school and walked to my classroom. Everyone looked over at me slightly mistified. I sat at my desk and glanced at the clock every now and then. Suddenly, two overpowering figures loomed sneakily behind me. I looked back slowly, and was face to face with mirror images of the Hitachiin twins. My eyes widened, but then narrowed.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly.

The two grinned. They strolled around me in amusement. I stood up from my seat. Something wasn't right. I made an attempt to pass the twins, but they blocked my exit. I scanned the room to notice the reluctant students contemplating to help me or not. I gasped as I was now at their mercy.

***

Haruhi jogged in time before the gates closed and made her way to Class 1-A. She made it in with five minutes to spare. Everyone looked over at Haruhi pleadingly. She cocked her head.

"What's going on?" asked Haruhi.

Momoka walked over in worry. She wrung her hands nervously.

"Hikaru and Kaoru took Sakuya somewhere. I'm worried since I remembered the twins scheming something and laughing a little maniaclly. I think they were planning something that had to do with Sakuya," Momoka explained.

Haruhi sighed and jogged once more in search of the twins and Sakuya. A few flights down, she found that the twins had Sakuya backed up against the wall. Sakuya looked more angry than scared. Haruhi walked over in an attempt to rescue Sakuya from the twins.

"What has gotten into you two?" called out Haruhi's voice.

The twins looked over in slight amusement.

***

The twins grabbed a hold of my wrists and pulled me out of the classroom with none of the students even thinking of helping me out of this mess. I followed them without complaint. Whatever they were planning, I was sure to foil it. We finally came to an empty space and the two released my wrists. I crossed my arms and looked at the two with fury.

"What is the meaning of this?' I questioned.

The two grinned devilishly. The two took out a paper that had some writing on it. I peered closer to see the paper, but Hikaru pressed the paper close to his back.

"What are you hiding?" I questioned once more.

The two smirked and stood back to back mimicking their every move like mirror images.

"We **know **your little **secret** Mazaki-**sama**," said Kaoru.

I clenched my hands tightly and shook with anger. I wasn't sure what they were getting at, but I was getting pretty fed up with them.

"Please get out of my way," I commanded.

The two crossed their arms and shook their heading 'tsk'ing me slightly. The two leaned in close.

"That anyway to **treat** the ones who can make you or break you?" asked Hikaru.

My boiling point was almost at its limit if these two were going to play **games **with me **all day**. I glanced over Kaoru's shoulder and took notice of a small figure with the male Ouran uniform. About time someone decided to stand up to these guys. I would have expected someone brawnier, but beggers can't be choosers. I looked back at the twins. When would they get to the point so that I could get back to class?

"Did you know there is a **middle school** division and a elementary school division at Ouran?" questioned Kaoru.

I crossed my arms. Of course I knew. Where was he going with this information? I tilted my head slightly in wonder.

"What has gotten into you two?" called out a familiar voice.

The twins twisted around to see Haruhi Fujioka. I sighed. Maybe **he **could knock some sense into them. The twins just grinned.

"Just in time to witness the end of Sakuya's high school life," chirped Hikaru.

Haruhi looked up in surprise.

"Think of what you're doing," he warned.

What was with all this? I really felt lost. What did all of this mean? The three best friends looked at me. My heart leaped in worry.

"Remember your little** scene** and the talk of us not **knowing **anything about your past? Well, seems like you just **happened** to drop something very...**precious**," explained Kaoru.

My mind raced as soon the pieces were coming together. My school id card was shoved in my face. The school name was printed out clearly across the top. Ryofuku middle school. The ticket that could reveal every single document about me. My middle class status and all my embarrassing moments were in the hands of the devil twins. The only way to get out of this was to put my skills to the test.

"You think this little thing will help you in anyway? You have no idea. Want the explanation behind the school? Well, yeah I went to the school, but it was only to get on my dad's nerves," I explained.

This got the attention of the boys. Hikaru and Kaoru sat on chairs that miraculously came from out of nowhere. Haruhi looked just as puzzled as me. I stood and took a deep breath. Thus, I spun a tale so believable, even my own **nanny** would be fooled. The story of rebelling against rules brought upon me for being an only child and taking over the business following my father's school choices to better my chance at taking over his job. I finished my story and surveyed my audience. The twins nodded in understanding, while Haruhi looked at me with confusion. The twins stood up and looked at the id card and then at me. Hikaru took out a laptop and hacked in effortlessly into the past files at my past school. A happy face popped up in the screen and a triumphant background music gave me the initial reaction that he had just discovered what he was looking for. My hands began to prespire slightly. The files were downloading into his software at warp speed and my time was running out. I ran to the laptop and snatched it from Hikaru's grasp. The first thought in my mind was to get rid of the evidence. I closed my eyes and slammed my hands on the keyboard and pressed every key imaginable to stop the download. I opened my eyes and I watched in surprise as the laptop began to cough out smoke. I cried out softly and it fell to the ground with a loud crash. Not only did I overheat the laptop, I had broken it into a million pieces. The twins stared in both shock and slight irritation.

"This cost over $1,000 with all the high tech stuff and personal information. You just completely destroyed my playlist! You know how long it took me to **find** all the **songs**?" asked Hikaru in throbbing vein anger.

I flinched and sat on the ground and bowed deeply. I knew this was going to kill my pride, but I'd rather have a bruised pride than face the wrath of an angered rich guy.

"My deepest apologies. I'll pay you back the money I just shattered in front of your eyes. Please don't be mad," I said while looking up.

My ears felt warm as a few students looked over in curiosity. I stood up from the ground and sighed as I was able to reach my cell phone once more. I reluctantly pressed the first numbers to my father's workplace.

"Wait," started Kaoru.

I looked up at him and tilted my head slightly. Haruhi looked over at Kaoru suspiciously.

"Yes?" I asked.

Kaoru glanced at Hikaru and grinned. The two nodded.

"How about you pay that off with cold hard labor?" asked Hikaru.

I stared in aghast. Did they really expect **me** to even **know **that meaning? Do I really want to** work** for those two, or do I just pay upfront? Either my father's wrath, or the torture of the twins? It was like deciding between lemon squeezed into my eyes or lemon squeezed into open wounds. Both very painful to even imagine. I guess I would just have to swallow my pride. I fell into submission and nodded silently.

"Alright. I'll do it," I whispered.

The twins winked and put up a thumbs up sign. So much for equality in the class system of rich people. Haruhi looked over sympathetically. From out of the mist, came Kyoya with glinting glasses. Shivers ran down my back and I felt my freedom pouring out from my body and making a small river around my little isolated island.

"What are you doing here?" asked Haruhi.

Kyoya looked down at me.

"It seems that you have gotten yourself in a tight situation," he observed.

I looked away and pleaded with my eyes for Haruhi to get me out of this mess. An anime sweat drop formed on the side of his forehead.

"So it seems," I said rather cooly.

I was terrified. This guy was too unpredictable. I'd much rather deal with the twins than **him**. He was like a dark lord or something.

"Uhm, so do you have some business with Mazaki-san?" asked Haruhi.

Kyoya looked down at Haruhi and smiled a very creepy smile.

"I don't think this really concerns you," he explained.

I needed to get out of here. I quietly crept off to arrive to class before the teacher would arrive and not get a detention or something. Thankfully, the twins and Kyoya were in deep discussion and I beckoned Haruhi to follow me to class.

"I can't believe she came back alive," one person whispered.

What did he mean _'come back alive'_? Another group looked at my face in surprise.

"Can you believe she didn't come back crying?" asked a girl.

I was getting really mad. I wasn't some **crybaby** that would start **bawling** the minute **two **idiots took me **hostage** in an attempt to **scare **me. I walked over to my seat silently as the others began to gossip terribly. I slammed my hand on my desk. Everyone gasped and looked my way. I just sighed and took out my notes to be prepared for class. Haruhi glanced over at me in concern once more. The bell rang and the teacher walked in ready to teach. I sat down and tuned out most of the day feeling my life here was over. Maybe I could move back to New York. Or better yet, California. Yeah right. If it were those two, they'd probably have a whole **fleet **of police officers to prevent me from leaving. I sighed heavily and looked at the ticking clock impatiently. I buried my face in between my arms and closed my eyes. For whatever reason, I wasn't feeling too well. As study hall rolled along, I walked up to the teacher and requested a pass to walk over to the nurse's office. He glanced over at me in alarm.

"Why don't you have Haruhi accompany you. I fear that you'll pass out from the look of your exceedingly pale skin," he observed.

I nodded and Haruhi followed close behind me to make sure that I got to the nurse's office safely. Well, as it turned out, the office was like a couple stories down. So for about half an hour, I was in danger of slipping into unconciousness. We finally arrived to the office and I walked directly into the canopy bed laid out for others and collapsed onto it without a single thought of the consequences. I closed my eyes and drifted into a nightmarish dream.

***

Haruhi watched in awe as she saw Sakuya collapse on the bed.

_"I wonder if she didn't get enough sleep. But then again, maybe it was the thought of having to work for the guys," _thought Haruhi.

She walked out and was making her way to the classroom, when she saw Kyoya walking past her in a hurry. The twins weren't that far behind. What were they planning?

"Do you think she's faking the whole sick thing?" asked Kaoru.

Hikaru laughed. He nodded his head.

"No doubt about it. She's just trying to sneak away," contemplated Hikaru.

Kaoru looked slightly unsure of his brother's accusation. The two walked inside the nurse's office to find the nurse taking Sakuya's temperature with the back of her hand. She wrote down a few notes on her clipboard and looked over while adjusting her glasses.

"May I help you?" she asked.

The two glanced at eachother and a small grin escaped their lips. The two looked over at her with worried expressions.

"Nurse nurse! There's an emergency in the west wing. Seems like there was an outbreak of food poisoning and a lot of upset stomachs," the twins said in unison.

The nurse gasped.

"I knew they shouldn't have had nachos! Commoner food is so greasy and easily upsets the stomach!" she cried out.

She took her gear and charged in a big hurry. The twins looked at eachother and began laughing hysterically. Hikaru and Kaoru walked closer to the canopy bed to get a clear view of the, so-called-sick patient. What they saw next, left the two speechless. Sakuya was underneath the covers sleeping rythmically with her pale face being framed with her dark eyelashes. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. The two looked away and flushed slightly. She really did have a pretty face when she wasn't looking at them with an angry expression. A bright flash surrounded the room. The twins looked around in alarm. A sigh escaped Sakuya's lips and her eyes began to open slightly.

***

A flash flooded my eyesight and I lifted an eyelid slowly. I knew that flash anywhere. It was the flash of a camera. I yawned softly and I opened my eyes and rose slowly from the bed. I opened my bleary eyes to fall upon two male figures. As my vision cleared, I was face to face with the devil twins. I gasped and looked away in anger.

"What can I do for you?" I asked through clenched teeth.

The twins came closer in examination. My head throbbed. I winced and pressed both of my hands to my temples. Just the sight of them made me feel like they were my personal soul reapers.

"Hey...you really do look kind of sick. Maybe you aren't faking," surveyed Kaoru.

I sighed.

"Gee. What gave you the **slightest **notion that I wasn't faking?" I asked sarcastically.

I got up from the bed and gently sat back down. Both Kaoru and Hikaru sat on the bed next to me. They don't seem to understand that I'd like to have my own personal space. I sighed. What were they scheming now that I was in debt with them? Hikaru's cellphone buzzed and beeped when a text message was sent to him.

"If you're all better, lets go to the Host Club. I just got a text from Kyoya. He said it was important information," said Hikaru.

Kaoru nodded. I looked at the two with puzzelment. What about classes?

"Won't you get in trouble for skipping classes to go to a stupid meeting?' I asked.

The two looked over at me. I froze and covered my mouth. What was up with me today? Usually I could keep my comments to myself. Their eyes glinted as they dragged me from out of bed and pulled me to the Music room. My internal pleas for help were fruitless. I arrived inside to find Tamaki, Hunny, Haruhi, and Kyoya waiting for the three of us to arrive. We sat down on the couch and waited for what the vice President had to say. Tamaki smiled in pleasure at the sight of me.

"Sakuya-chan! We're so glad to see you," he cried out happily.

Someone has had way too much sugar today. I sighed. But nodded politely. Mori sat next to Hunny. Hunny smiled and walked over to me.

"Hi Kawaii-chan! Did ya' come here for the meeting?" he asked.

I glanced over at the twins, who wore a bored expression.

"I guess," I responded.

He smiled and, no surpise, still had the pink bunny in his arms. Haruhi glanced over at me in concern. He walked over in curiosity.

"What are you doing here, Mazaki-san? Weren't you in the nurse's office a little while ago feeling sick?" he asked.

I sighed and glanced over in attempt to have her realize that they had dragged me out of my comfort zone.

"Well, the guys just kind of dragged me all the way here," I explained.

He nodded solemnly.

"That's typical behavior for those guys. Its their way or the highway. Its tiring sometimes," he admitted.

The two looked over at him in shock. They dramatically clutched their hearts and shivered.

"Ouch! How cold. After all we've done for you," said Hikaru with fake tears.

Kaoru nodded and sighed.

"What do you expect from the master of bluntness? But I guess we rubbed off on Haruhi," Kaoru explained.

I looked over in confusion. I guess he was blunt. Kyoya walked in and the room fell silent. Well, in reality he was already there, but he was looking at his laptop for the time everyone was talking.

"I've called this meeting to elaborate on some interesting events relating to today around the time before classes started," he started.

A small gasp escaped my throat and was expelled through my lips. Don't tell me he was going to bring this up for **everyone **to hear. My head spinned with complicated thoughts exploding in my mind. I just wanted to live a normal life with no worries of my past, but here I was watching my life go down the drain and into the sewer. I sat quietly feeling dread for every second I was here.

_"Power of persuasion please help me! All I have to think is that he isn't going to talk about the laptop breaking incident. It isn't about me. It isn't about me. It's about...pie! Yes pie. Great. Now I sound delusional. Maybe I should just accept it and then live the life of an ostracized Ouran student. Its better than having others constantly bully me,"_ I thought.

I bowed my head low and tightened my eyes.

"Mazaki-kohai has tampered with a personal item belonging to Hikaru and Kaoru. The amount due is over $1,000 plus other costs of the warranty," he continued.

Gasps escaped the lips of Tamaki and Hunny. I covered my face in shame. I had no way to respond to his acusation when it was all true.

"Is that true?" asked Tamaki.

I didn't look up, but nodded. I bowed deeply and felt my face warm once more.

"I'm sorry. I already confirmed with the twins that I'd work for them to pay off the damages," I explained.

The whole room fell silent and Tamaki began to shed tears of remorse. He hugged me and cried hysterically. So dramatic.

"My beautiful flower! Please bear with them for a while, for I will rescue you from their clutches," he vowed.

I sighed and felt slightly embarrassed for being hugged by a complete stranger. A handsome stranger at that. I pushed him away and looked over at the twins. They grinned devilishly.

"So, the only reason you called this meeting was to tell us about Mazaki-san's servitude to twins, or was there more you needed to say?" asked Haruhi.

Kyoya shook his head.

"No of course not. I've also come to talk about arrangements for the Host Club Christmas Party coming up," he explained.

I tilted my head slightly. Host Club Christmas party?

"What's that?" asked Haruhi.

Hunny smiled and ate a piece of strawberry cake while listening to the conversation.

"Oh, that's right. This is your first year here. You're a newcomer to the club too. Well, every year we have this party in the the customers in the big hall used for events here at Ouran. There's music, games and dancing," explained Kaoru.

Sounded like those hokey parties that were made after a shoot. It didn't really pique my interest. I sighed.

"Are you going, Kawaii-chan?" Hunny asked.

I conteplated whether to answer or not. I **really** didn't know whether I was going or not.

"Well, I'm not sure. I might not be able to go. It **is** the holidays. I might have to go visit my family out of the country," I explained.

Hunny blushed in surprise.

"You celebrate Christmas? With presents, family and cake?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Yes," I said quietly.

I stood perfectly still as my mind wandered to the not so distant past.

***

Kaoru glanced over at Sakuya. She seemed to be in daydream mode. He wondered what she was thinking about. Hikaru watched his little brother staring at Sakuya with his cheeks slightly pinkish. Kyoya watched over the three quietly.

****

Flashback...

After the girls had left, the twins and Kyoya had discussed about Sakuya's reaction to Hikaru "looking up" information on her previous middle school years. Even wealthy people didn't have the power to go around do such things and look up information. Besides, after the graduation or leave of the person, their files are not in the school system. Most likely in storage somewhere.

"Why don't we strike a propisition?" asked Kyoya.

The twins cocked their heads.

"What do you mean?" they asked.

Kyoya smirked and had an evil glint in his eye.

"Blackmail," he said simply.

The twins looked at Kyoya warily. This was the scariest they had seen Kyoya.

_"What exactly does he have against Sakuya that he'd go as far as showing his true colors during school, where others will surely notice?" _wondered Hikaru.

Kaoru peeked at his older brother in wonder if they were to accept his offer.

"Are you really planning to go that far? I mean, we could always use the back up disk from our computer," ventured Kaoru.

Hikaru stood still for a while in thought, but he took the bait. He shook Kyoya's hand. Kaoru looked slightly agitated.

"Sure. I mean, our other plan was sort of ruined when we tried to intimidate Sakuya. She's tough to crack. What other way are we going to get her to see us other than classes when she hates our guts?" explained Hikaru.

He had a point, but his morales were a little messed up. Kaoru nodded. He had a bad feeling about this, but whatever his big brother did, he would follow suit.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Kaoru.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up with his index finger and his glasses shined.

"Glad you asked," Kyoya replied.

Kyoya grinned darkly. No one had ever spurned him like Sakuya had. Personal information was made to be found out by others. She was the first female person to ever back talk to him. Manners and human business relationships meant nothing to him right now. His wrath was too severe to have him think clearly.

****

End Flashback

Haruhi and Hunny ate cake while watching Kyoya stare at Sakuya, Hikaru, and Kaoru. Hikaru watched Kaoru and Sakuya. Kaoru was only looking at Sakuya and she was...staring off into space. Mori had left when he realized there was a meet for the kendo club. Tamaki had gone off in search for anything that would help him save Sakuya from the devils. Hunny strode over to Sakuya and tapped her shoulder. She shook her head and looked up abruptly.

***

I looked up in alarm to see Hunny looking at me with as happy grin.

"Kawaii-chan. Would you like some cake?" he asked sweetly.

Aww. What a cutie. I smiled and nodded. Hunny smiled and handed me a plate of strawberry cake. I took the plate and fork and nibbled it. It had such a rich taste. Must have been made by a famous chef or something.

"It's delicious," I complimented.

He smiled. I went back to eating the cake.

"Time sure flies by. Its almost time to open up," said Haruhi after looking at his watch.

I stood up and was almost across the room, when the twins pulled me back. I looked up in alarm.

"Might I ask about what you're doing?" I asked.

The two looked at eachother and nodded.

"You're staying," they said with authority.

I felt myself tremble with anger.

"If you two have club, I don't think I should be here. Besides, I have to get home," I said.

The two crossed their arms and shook their head.

"You have to do whatever we say. I mean, you **are **our personal **servant **now," countered Hikaru.

I sat on the floor with a black hole of despair encircling around me.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Little Pieces of My Heart**_

**_Hi again from Yukihime211. _**Sorry! I promised myself I'd update on Wednesday, but it took me a while to finish Chapter five. 52 people in one day. I beat my old record! Thank you to everyone who made it possible. Oh and thank you Kisa Sohma (Sorry if I got your penname wrong.) for boosting my confidence on how I protrayed the twins. Anyway, hope you enjoy this installment. I'll be sure to update soon next week. **_Disclaimer:Do not own any of Ouran except my OC's. Some of the people might sound AU so sorry._**

Chapter 5

Against Your Own Will

Girls walked in giggling and flirting with the Host club as I sat on a chair watching. Apparently, I was to sit here until Hikaru or Kaoru needed some refreshments or were just bored out of their minds. A few girls from my class walked over skeptically.

"You're into the Host club too?" asked a girl with small braids.

Yeah right. Sure most of the club was handsome, but I'm not some shallow person that is devoted to some play boys. I'm not sure about Haruhi though. He doesn't seem like the type of guy who would join a club of his own free willl. I glanced over at the twins and their act of "brotherly love" for the pleasure of the customers.

"Not exactly. I'm just here to observe," I explained.

The girl just nodded and moved on to other matters of business. Hmph. Rude much? Well, whatever. They were paying customers, so might as well keep my mouth shut. It's already gotten me into enough trouble. Haruhi walked over and handed me a teacup filled with tea.

"Thank you, Fujioka-kun," I thanked.

He smiled and sat down next to me. He sighed.

"So, how are you holding up?" he asked.

I sat blankly for a while, but soon enough the thought came to me.

"Okay, I guess. I'm not sure what lies ahead for me though," I answered.

I pinched myself slightly. I really hope someday someone invents a time machine so I could go back and erase my meeting with these guys. It was strange. I wasn't usually this grumpy or rude. Maybe I should have gone home. I might really have a fever or something. I slouched slightly.

"Only my second day here, and I've already ruined my life,"

A small bell rang throughout the room. I plugged my ears in pain and looked up to see Hikaru calling me. Haruhi lookd back at me sympathetically and left to attend to some of his customers. I stood up stiffly and walked over feeling drained. I bowed slightly.

"May I help you?" I asked.

Hikaru grinned. Kaoru smiled slightly. They both nodded

"Go to the kitchen and make us something good to eat," obligated Hikaru.

I nodded and took out a small notepad and a pen.

"What would you like me to make you?" I asked quietly.

Hikaru rubbed his chin in thought. Kaoru stood up.

"How about pancakes," Kaoru sugested.

PANCAKES?He wanted me to make **pancakes**? Back in the U.S. it was breakfast. Whatever. Might as well get to it. I nodded and walked into the kitchen. Wierd. What would a kitchen be doing in a music room? I shrugged and walked into the kitchen. I searched the cabinets to find what I needed to start the recipe.

***

Girls gossiped in a small corner near Haruhi about Sakuya Mazaki. They wondered what a girl with her kind of money was following the twins around like a servant. Haruhi walked over in defense.

"Sorry for eavesdropping. But I couldn't help but overhear you girls talking about Mazaki-san. I don't think you really have a right to talk down on her like that. You're just acting jealous because the twins are giving her special treatment. She's actually a very kind person that just happens to be quite sensitive," defended Haruhi.

The girls blushed and squealed.

"How manly and **so** romantic! Its a love square," a girl cried out.

I walked out of the kitchen with a tray of assortments of pancakes. Girls were squealing and giggling as I passed by and handed the tray of desserts to the twins.

"Is there anything else?" I asked.

The two looked at eachother and shrugged.

"Meh. We'll call you when we feel bored. Right now though, we've got people to entertain," answered Hikaru.

I intook a deep breath and walked away from the mob of girls. I walked over to a chair and scanned the table for anything I could entertain myself with until this stupid club was over. Honestly, who in their right minds would even **APPROVE** this kind of club? Whatever. Not like it was my business. I wonder how long I'd have to work for them to finally get rid of my debt? I hate math. A fairly hard book was left on the table. Hm. Must be Kyoya's or something. Well, I was bored so, I opened the book to the first page and gasped. This wasn't a book at all. The accounts and personal information on practically every girl involved with the Host Club was in the hands of Kyoya. I flipped to the end of the book to find my profile circled with red pen. Across the page were the words,"not enough information." I closed the hard back and glanced over at Kyoya. He was sweet talking girls with his knowledge on fruits or something. To the average person, he'd probably be seen as the intelligent yet kind guy. The way I saw it though, Kyoya's kindess was a total act. Money was probably always on his mind. I surveyed the room and observed that Mori, Hunny, the twins, Kyoya and Haruhi were all busy with their customers. The perfect chance had arrived. I stood up silently and crept over to the door unnoticed by the others. I creaked open the door slightly and glanced back. Good. No one had noticed. I sighed in relief and was almost out the door when, the doors burst open and a loud **CRACK** echoed the room.

Tamaki had searched practically all day to come up with a good enough plan to help Sakuya. He sighed. His problems would have been easier to solve if the club helped, but he had a feeeling that four out of six hosts would like to keep her in the group. He wasn't too sure about Kyoya, though. He slumped in despair. He dragged himself toward the Host club, when he noticed one of his teachers walking by with a paper in hand. He nonchalantly walked closer in time to see her weary eyes.

"What's wrong Sensei?" asked Tamaki.

She looked up at him and smiled wearily. She looked rather embarrassed.

"Oh, hello there Suoh-kun. How are you?" she asked.

He smiled politely and looked at her with genuine concern.

"I'm doing great. How about you?" he asked.

She sighed quietly.

"Well, I could be better. Seems that my contract was up and I had to go and get it updated. I didn't read the fine print and it seems that I'm now obligated to work more hours after school," she explained.

Tamaki looked at her sympathetically. He wished he could have done something to help her, but whatever was signed in a contract was concrete.

_"Contract...concrete. Wait a minute._ Aha!" he cried out.

The teacher jumped in surprise. He bowed and rushed off towards the club in a frenzy. He had just figured out a way to save Sakuya from those troublesome twins. He grinned and felt his adrenaline pump. Sakuya had never signed a contract to actually admit she was their personal slave. He was confident that he could protect Sakuya from any harm now that he had solved the problem. As he reached the door, he excitedly pushed it open and in turn, heard a loud **WHACK**. Gasps echoed the once calm music room. Tamaki cautiously opened the door to see his handiwork.

I fell to my knees in pain. My forehead throbbed and I shivered violently as the impact had really shooken me up. In walked Tamaki Suoh. So, this was his doing. I glanced up slightly to see his whole face screw up in a fit of hysterical crying. The club crowed around me. Hunny ran over and hugged me tightly.

"Are you alright Sa-chan?" he asked in concern.

I didn't bother to answer, but nodded slighty as I kept a hold of my forehead. Haruhi came closer and knelt to my level.

"We should probably get you some ice to keep your bruise from swelling," surveyed Haruhi.

Mori nodded. Kyoya glanced over in surprise.

"Well, it seems that Tamaki has once more gotten himself in trouble," he muttered softly.

Not softly enough for me not to be able to hear it. Hikaru and Kaoru walked over curiously.

"Ouch. That must have been a nasty hit," observed Kaoru.

Hikaru glanced over at me. I glanced away guiltily.

"It's her own fault for being next to the door. She must have been plotting to get away from us," explained Hikaru.

Gee. Doesn't seem like I'll get any sympathy from this guy. Well, I guess he has a reason to dislike me. I mean, I did break his laptop. Hunny pulled away from me and I rose from the ground with my hand still putting pressure on my forehead. I sat on the couch with my body still shaken.

"You should probably head down to the nurse before a bump starts forming on your forehead," commented Kyoya.

I glanced over at the twins in questioning.

"Am I able to leave or are you going to hold me here against my will?" I asked slightly agitated.

The two looked at eachother and came to an agreement.

"Go for it. We don't think it would be okay for you to walk around with a bruise on your face. People will wonder," said Hikaru.

How cynical. Kaoru crossed his arms lightly across his chest.

"Why don't you have Mori take you to the nurse's office," offered Kaoru.

Mori stood up and walked beside me as the two of us walked out of the dreadful club. The hallways were filled with muffled laughter coming from various clubs having an enjoyable time. Mori looked straight ahead with an expressionless face. Huh. This guy was pretty hard to read. We arrived to my destination and the two of us walked inside. The nurse glared back at us with anger. I took a step back.

"I'm sorry. Are you busy?" I asked.

She looked at me closely and gasped.

"Why, Mazaki-san. Weren't you suppose to be resting? Where have you been?" she asked.

I looked away in embarrassment.

"Forgive me. I had some business to attend to, and it seems like I got myself into some more trouble," I said while indicating my forehead with my index finger.

She sat me on a chair and came back with an ice pack for my forehead. I held on tight and watched Mori wave goodbye. I was once again by myself.

Girls chatted excitedly with one another about the upcoming party that would take place on Christmas eve. It was up to the girls to decide whether they would like to bring a date to the party, or just go to hang out with the hosts.

"Well...I was hoping of maybe asking Kei-kun in class 2-B. He's so sweet and caring," a customer said lovingly.

The group giggled and smiled. There was so much to do. To think that there were only two more weeks until Christmas would arrive. Haruhi sat with a couple of girls mooning over the weather. They looked out the window.

"Wouldn't it be **grand** if it snowed on Christmas eve?" asked a girl with rosy cheeks.

Haruhi glanced out the window as well.

"Just think. Wouldn't it be great just to curl up next to the fireplace in the dead of the winter and cuddle?" fantasized another girl.

Haruhi smiled.

"Its cute to see that even through dreary times you can still act cheerful," she said sincerely.

The girls squealed.

"Ooh Haruhi! I wouldn't mind bearing a storm with you at my side," cried out the girls.

Tamaki looked over in depression. The twins walked over in curiosity.

"What's up, M'lord?" they asked in unision.

He pointed over at Haruhi's table where she was looking quite oblivious.

"Argh! This is so frustrating. She's a **girl,** but the **girls** like her as a boy! Why is that?! How can I, a gentlemen, let our customers be decieved!!!" cried out Tamaki in anguish.

The twins sighed.

"You're just mad that you can't spend as much time with her as we do," the two said with boredom.

Tamaki grew red with rage. The two whispered to one another.

"Why you little...brats!" cried out Tamaki.

He charged after them, but they just dodged him.

_"So annoying," _whispered Hikaru.

Kaoru nodded in agreement and glanced quietly at the angered President. The girls looked over and giggled at their antics.

_"So true, but he is more of an idiot than annoying," _concluded Kaoru.

Tamaki looked over in confusion. Kyoya appeared next to the twins like a ninja.

"Hey you three. Are you done messing around? If you are, get back to work," said Kyoya.

The troublemakers and the President jumped in surprise and stared wide eyed at Kyoya.

"Jeez. Are you trying to kill us?" asked Hikaru.

Kyoya chuckled slightly.

"No. Of course not," answered Kyoya calmly.

Kaoru held on to his chest where his heart was beating wildly. Tamaki was motionless and became limp. He had lost conciousness from the not so dramatic scare. The twins groaned. Great. Now they would have to carry him to a couch or something. The two grabbed a bucket of freezing cold water and dumped it on Tamaki's limp body. The cold ran down Tamaki's back like electricity when a lightbulb was turned on. He abruptly woke up and cried out in both pain and surprise. He shivered and glared at the twins. The twins chuckled at their handiwork. He stood up and the girls looked at him in concern.

"Tamaki! Are you alright? Do you need a towel and a new change of clothes?" the girls asked frantically.

He looked at them and smiled seductively. He cupped a girls chin with one of his cold hands.

"Thank you for your kindness. In return, shall I present you with a kiss of gratitude?" he asked.

The girls blushed and squealed with pleasure. Hikaru sat on a chair in a slouched position. Kaoru yawned quietly.

"This is getting kind of boring. I wish Sakuya was here. Then we'd have something to entertain ourselved with," whined Hikaru.

Kaoru kept silent. Hikaru looked over at Kaoru in concern. Was there something wrong with him? Kaoru looked up at his concerned brother and smiled.

"Sorry about that. You just caught me daydreaming. I'm okay, so don't look so worried," Kaoru explained.

Hikaru doubted this was the case, but let it slide.

"Hey, why don't we go get Sakuya back here. Maybe then we'll get to have some fun," teased Hikaru.

Kaoru grinned and nodded slightly. The two waved Sayonara and off to the nurse's office once more. Kyoya groaned. They had escaped from work once more.

I sneezed quietly. Huh. Someone must have been talking about me. I withdrew the ice pack from my forehead. A mirror hung above the sink lazily. I walked over cautiously to over look my bump. What I saw next, shocked me. The bump was nowhere in sight. I sighed. Good. What would I do if I had to explain to my staff where I got the bump? The doors slammed open, and in walked in my worst nightmares. Hikaru and Kaoru. I sighed. I really needed to get out of here.

"We really must stop meeting at such random circumstances," joked Kaoru.

Argh! Why couldn't they just leave me alone? I glanced and managed to chuckle once in politeness. Hikaru sank close to me and stood behind me suspicously. I looked back nervously. Don't tell me they came here because they were bored. My cellphone suddenly began to vibrate violently. I gasped and took out my cellphone. I stood and paced around the room until I reached the restroom.

"Hello?" I questioned.

An angry scream erupted from the phone. I winced and pulled the phone away from my ear.

"Where are you, young lady?" scolded Yoneko.

I apoligized sincerely.

"Sorry Yoneko. I'm being held up at school and I'm not allowed to leave until after club is over," I explained.

The line went silent. I heard Yoneko sigh in relief.

"Forgive me Sakuya-sama. I was just a tad worried that you were in trouble. Might I ask exactly what **kind** of club has kept you from going home?" she asked.

I laughed nervously.

"Well, its being held in a music room," I said cryptically.

Yoneko approved of the answer.

"Alright, but you better get home soon. It seems your father is on his way back from tour early to see how things are going lately. I know you barely started yesterday, so I told him to wait at least a week until he decided on coming over. Besides, we're barely starting preperations and decorations for the big party," she explained.

There was going to be a party at our house?

"What party? I thought we were going to get out of the country to visit family," I answered with confusion.

The line went silent once more. Muffled voices rang in my ears from the other line.

"Well, your father may be coming home, but that's going to be short lived as he is going back to work on Christmas Eve," she explained.

My mouth gaped in shock. I held on to my arm and sat on the couch which was in the bathroom, which was real strange.

How _wonderful._ Now what was I going to do? Would I once more have a lonely **Christmas** for the sake of my dad's **wealth**? I enjoyed my life as a middle class family **tons **more. We were able to spend time together. Now it was like I didn't even **have **a real family. I closed my phone and placed it in my bag. I sat on the couch dumbfounded and rubbed my temples slowly.

Hikaru rested his ear to the bathroom door to hear Sakuya's voice filled with dread. He could only make out snippets of her conversation of not visiting her family members outside Japan. Kaoru stood next Hikaru with the same position as his brother. Kaoru analyzed the barely audible sigh escaping Sakuya's lips. She seemed depressed. The tapping of Sakuya's shoes came closer to the door as they heard her unlock the bathroom door. The two bolted back into their seats to create the illusion they never heard a word of her conversation with one of her maids.

_"You think she's crying in there?" _whispered Kaoru.

Hikaru glanced at the door and shrugged.

"Probably, but who knows. She doesn't seem like the type of girl who cries over every little thing," examined Hikaru.

Kaoru sighed. He wasn't sure what to do. He didn't really want to see Sakuya if she were to come out all depressed. For a while the two were silent as the waited for Sakuya to finally come out of the boathroom. From out of thin air, an idea ocurred to the two. The door opened wide and Sakuya walked out with an expressionless face.

I walked out of the bathroom to find the guys looking over at me curiously. What did they want **now?** I arched one of my eyebrows in wonder.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" I asked.

The two nodded. They chuckled in unision.

"We were just **thinking** about the **Christmas party**," said Hikaru.

Kaoru placed an arm around my shoulders. Hikaru did the same on my other side. The two lead me once more to the door leading back to the Host club. Looks like I can never get away from this bunch.

"We've decided to take you as our **date** to the party," explained Kaoru.

What?! When did I ever agree to **this?**

"Can I have a say in this?" I asked.

The two looked over at me and laughed as if that was such a funny comment.

"Nope," the two said in unision.

Darn. I thought so. Doing things against my will really sucked.

"Sorry, but there's just one thing," I said.

The two looked at me.

"What's that?" they asked.

I sighed in slight embarrassment.

"I can't dance," I proclaimed.

********


	6. Chapter 6

_**Little Pieces of My Heart**_

**_Hi again from Yukihime211. _**Sorry for not updating sooner. I **was **going to update on Saturday, but I still needed to finish a few more paragraphs until it was completed. Just a mini update that the twins won't be that much in focus in this chapter. It's more Sakuya centered and a bit more of Kyoya. Thanks again for those who are continuing to read. Oh, and sorry about the last chapter. Had some techical difficulties with my laptop, so it turned out wierd. **_Disclaimer:Do not own any of Ouran except my OC's. Some of the people might sound AU so sorry._**

Chapter 6

Lessons with Luck

A week had gone by, and everything was falling into place. Outside, the first signs of snow were showing as snowflakes were lightly fluttering to the ground. Not completely a winter wonder land, but pretty and soothing from the inside of Ouran. Girls huddled close to the windows and sighed in happiness. In Music Room 3, a pleasant melody cloaked the room. Hunny and Mori were dancing as a pair in order to demonstrate the dance. Haruhi watched slightly alert as Sakuya was staring out the window longingly. The twins surveyed boredly as they were wearing down as the deadline for the party was nearing.

***

My mind danced as the thought of the house party was clearly bothering me. I wasn't really planning on going, but where was I supposed to go? I'd think of something. I could probably make plans with a couple of friends. I glanced around to see Tamaki in a corner eating ramen. He seemed depressed. I stood up and drifted towards Tamaki silently. I tapped his shoulder lightly. He looked over and sighed.

"Are you alright Suoh-senpei?" I asked.

He grinned childishly at my voice.

"That's so **cute**!!!!!" he cried out as he leapt at me.

Two pair of hands pulled me out of his line of fire and he slammed into the coat rack. The twins cracked up with an arm around my shoulder. I sighed. I felt kind of sorry for him.

"You know, that was kind of rude," I pointed out.

The twins just shrugged.

"Don't care. He's fun to mess around with," explained Hikaru.

I could kind of already knew that. How many "toys" did these guys have anyways? Tamaki stood and looked pleased at my concern for him.

"Besides, didn't we come here to practice? I thought you told us you couldn't dance," said Kaoru.

I glared at him slightly. No one was supposed to know about that. Haruhi glanced at me curiously. I flustered slightly.

"You can't dance either?" he asked.

I nodded. He smiled.

"I guess we're both in the same boat," I noted.

The twins huddled close in deep conversation, as the club stared in confusion. Hikaru and Kaoru turned and stared directly at us. When I mean us, I mean Haruhi and me.

"We've decided that you'll be dance partners for now to practice," said Hikaru.

Well, might as well get to it. I nodded.

"So, what's the first step to learning to dance?" I asked.

The twins grinned devilishly.

***

Kyoya was in his own little corner getting the finishing touches on the party. There was still a matter of the catering and the entertainment. That wouldn't be too much trouble. He had a cellphone in one ear and his hands tapping away at the laptop. Hunny glanced over in curiosity. He smiled.

"What are you doing, Kyo-chan?" asked Hunny.

Kyoya looked down at Hunny slightly smiling out of politeness.

"I'm just organizing the final touches on the party coming up, is all," he explained.

Hunny looked excited.

"Will there be cake?" he asked with rosy cheeks.

Kyoya nodded.

"Most likely. It depends on the likes and dislikes of the customers," he explained.

Hunny threw his arms out and cried out multiple 'Banzai's. He ran over to Mori in pure happiness. Kyoya sighed heavily and went back to work with the types of food that would be served at the party.

***

I gulped. Maybe I shouldn't have asked anything. The two walked closer and stood directly in front of me. Their faces almost a few inches from my face.

"Let's start off with this," started Hikaru.

Hikaru glanced at Kaoru. The two stepped away from me.

"With these lessons in dancing, you'll be able to reach far into the lessons in life. Easily put, the key to making others follow your every whim. The description being talked about now, is attracting the opposite gender," said Kaoru

I watched in horror. How the hell was **this** supposed to help me out in life.

"Don't see any point in that. I'd be begging them if dancing helped with lessons in luck. Seem's to me I always get myself into a terrible situation either through being injured or injuring someone elses items," I muttered to myself.

Haruhi looked at me curiously. I looked over at him.

"Is there something that you'd like to say?" I asked.

Haruhi stared pensively. He nodded when he made up his mind.

"Yeah. I was wondering if we'd start practicing now instead of getting off track," suggested Haruhi.

I looked at him with an arched brow. What was his problem? Now that I thought about it, I do remember something interesting happening a few days back about a debt being halved. Did that mean that he was in trouble with the club too and was forced to join? Woah. Talk about intense. I guess we really did have more in common than I once thought we did. Well, if it meant helping a fellow commoner in need, I'd jump right into this stupid dance. I nodded with enthusiasim.

"Let's get this started," I said with confidence.

The twins laughed. Hunny cheered from behind with Mori copying his pose. Tamaki's eyes were filled with tears as he saw the determination that I was showing. Kyoya stared over blankly and went back to his party arrangements. Hunny, Mori, Tamaki and the twins gave a thumbs up and the lessons began. I groaned. Great, what had I gotten myself into now?

***

Airplanes arrived and departed constantly as the gentle snow was padding the ground. Dark shoes stomped on the ground menacingly. People glanced over in fear and worry. Others didn't know whether to pinpoint the person as hot or dangerous. He was a young man around sixteen with pale ice blue eyes and pitch black hair. He wore some ripped faded jeans and a black t-shirt. The young man had a single backpack filled with a few weeks pack clothes and probably only about three types of electronics:laptop, cellphone and ipod. He had a slight smirk on his face and ran a hand through his slightly long hair in a small ponytail. (Hair about shoulder length.) He looked down at a piece of paper and walked out of the airport. The young man hailed a cab and read off the directions to the driver. Speeding off, the driver kept his eyes on the road and followed his orders. The young man chuckled.

"Soon we'll meet again," he whispered.

In his hand, was a photo of a girl with long light brown hair and dark blue eyes. She was smiling forcefully at the camera with a look of slight boredom in her eyes. The exact description was of Sakuya Mazaki.

***

A shiver ran down my back as Haruhi and I were ending our waltz. The music stopped and Hikaru stormed over in irritation.

"We've been at this for at least three hours and when we finally get it to be perfect, you have to go and mess up," said Hikaru in exasperation.

I looked away guiltily.

"It was just a fluke. Won't happen again, promise," I answered back.

Kaoru nodded in approval and looked at his twin.

"Don't get so serious. It was just an honest mistake. We're human, so what do you expect?" asked Kaoru.

Hikaru looked at Kaoru with an arched brown and cooled down. My phone vibrated violently. I frantically fumbled with it while the others stared at me. I pressed the OK button.

"Hello?" I inquired.

I waited a few seconds for Yoneko's voice to come on.

"Sakuya-sama. You must come home immediately. A client of your father's is coming over to the dinner party and he wanted to have you meet each other. We must get you ready and presentable," said Yoneko.

My eyes widened. I grabbed my things and ran out the door with the phone still in my hand.

"Are you crazy?! How much time do I have left?" I asked.

Yoneko shuffled around and was easily audible through the speaker.

"Two hours," she answered.

The car was in front of the gates still running. I fled to the doors and abruptly opened as well as closed the car door.

"I'm hanging up," I said finally.

She grunted in understanding and hung up. The driver rode off exactly on speed limit, but we took various shortcuts until we finally saw my mansion in view. I knew for sure that when I had the chance, I'd have a good talking to with my father.

***

The club stood still at what had just happened.

"What just happened?" asked Hikaru.

Everyone stared at each other blankly.

"Looks like she escaped," surveyed Kaoru.

Tamaki looked at the door.

"It must have been family business. Didn't she say something about a dinner party?" asked Tamaki.

Everyone looked at him in awe.

"Looks like your super-sonic hearing can pay off sometimes," said Haruhi.

Tamaki ran over to Kyoya.

"Mom! Mom! Haruhi is being mean to Daddy!" he cried out.

Hikaru and Kaoru rolled their eyes as Hunny sat on the couch eating another helping of cake and looked crestfallen.

"I really wanted to eat cake with Saa-chan. Then after that go to the garden to see all the pretty flowers," said Hunny slightly pouty.

Mori nodded in agreement. Kyoya glanced at his watch.

"Well, I should be going now," he said.

Tamaki calmed down and looked puzzled.

"Where are you headed, Kyoya?" asked Tamaki.

Kyoya sighed heavily.

"Seems my father was invited to a dinner party by a friend. The friend **insisted** he bring over one of his sons with him. I was the only one available at the time," explained Kyoya.

He walked out of the club. Everyone looked out the window to see the car pulled up outside the front gates. The day had started off with eight and had now dwindled to six.

***

A make up artist, a wardrobe consultant, and a hair stylist fretted with my whole being as the time was running out. The blowdryer rang through the second floor and the bickering of make up and wardrobe was unbearable. I hated these things. Too much fuss over such a small event. After almost half an hour, the wardrobe was already picked and the make up was perfect. My long light brown hair had been let loose in elegant curls specially curled by the stylist. My curled hair went down to my mid-back. I slipped into a white frilly baby doll dress that had pale silver designs on the bow with a few white roses adorning my hair. A silver necklace rested on my neck daintily and finished off my look. What was my father trying to do? Make me out to be an angel or adornment for the centerpiece of his stupid profits? I slipped into silver strapped heels. I grasped my head tenderly as another migraine was budding slowly. Count to ten and take a deep breath. I closed my eyes and walked over to my mirror. I opened my eyes to see soft pastel colors of my eyeshadow and lipglossed lips blending in with the white and silver of my outfit. A knock on my door signaled the time to come out to meet the client. One, two, three, four, five...ten. The door knob turned as I walked down the stairs that lead to the door. Maids were running around frantically getting the food in their place. The butler opened the door for the guests that were barely arriving. A jolly old man in his late sixties walked in. He looked American. In his hand he had a gift. He reminded me of Santa Claus. I bowed slightly and switched to English.

"Good evening," I said quietly.

He smiled.

"Hi there girly! My, aren't you a beauty. Like a little angel. The spittin' image of your mother," he bellowed.

I took at step back. I smiled softly and escorted him to the dinner party where the rest of the party guests were chatting up with eachother. I scanned the room with a flick of my eyes, but didn't see him anywhere. Where was my father?

"Excuse me for a moment," I said politely.

The old man nodded and looked around for people to socialize with. In less than 20 seconds, I was in the kitchen looking for Yoneko.

"Has anyone seen Yoneko?" I asked the small group of cooks.

They shook their heads and blushed.

"You look so cuuuute!" cried out one of the younger maids.

I smiled.

"Thank you," I said with a slight strain in my voice.

I passed by the table and walked into the living room. Wait...what was I thinking? I took out my cellphone and speed dialed her pager. The ever familiar beep brought me closer to her whereabouts. Finally, I discovered she was on the second floor.

"Yoneko!" I called out.

She walked over slightly worried.

"Yes?" she asked.

I scanned the hallways.

"Where is my father?" I asked.

She came over with a pained look on her face. I stood dead in my tracks.

"Sakuya-sama, you look very pretty tonight. Did the stylist do something to your hair?" she asked as if trying to distract me.

What was she hiding from me.

"Save it Yoneko. I know you're just trying to distract me. Where is my father?" I asked.

She looked searchingly at me and opened her mouth.

"Wait. Don't tell me he just left. How can he just leave his guests like this?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"He says he's not coming to dinner. Right now he's in his study room. He said something about not being hungry. I recall him telling me that although he wouldn't attend the dinner, that later on to invite the guests over. It must have to do with top secret news," Yoneko reasoned.

I groaned. What did he get me all **dolled **up for if this had nothing to do with me?

"Well, what am I supposed to tell the guests?" I asked.

She looked uneasy.

"Well, your father proposed you be the host for the party," she said meekly.

What?! One of these days, I would be sure to give him a good talking to. Oh, who was I kidding? I can't stand up to my dad. I don't even have the guts to go against the twins. Sure, I made my remarks, but I never really **did** anything to help myself get out of the mess. I just nodded and walked down the stairs. This was seriously going to be a long night.

***

Kyoya walked inside his father's Benz wearing semi-formal attire. The two were running slightly late due to work at the Ohtori hospital and the need of his father's assistance with a patient. The car drove by quickly to arrive on time. Kyoya wondered exactly what friend they were going to visit. The Benz stopped abruptly. Kyoya looked around to see the masion. There was a small rose garden up front that right now was bare, as the snow kept falling. Hopefully there wouldn't be a snow storm. He was sure that if his father's friend had any kids, that he would have to build a friendship with the person to keep good terms with others. The two were then guided from their car into the entrance of the double doors to the creamy white mansion. The doors opened and they entered to see chandiliers hanging from the ceiling and the stairs leading to the second level of the mansion were exactly in front of the door. Various paintings were hung up on the eggshell colored walls. There were no actual family photos anywhere. Kyoya started to doubt anybody lived here, besides the owner and his maids. The Ohtori family was then led into the dining room where various people were chatting heartily about the holidays coming and family memebers. Kyoya scanned the room and listed off all the people there that were CEO's of a company and their background mentally. He took at seat a few chairs away from where the empty seat at the end of the table was. He figured that would be where the owner would sit. The table hushed when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Everyone strained their necks to get a better look at their mysterious host. What Kyoya saw next, left him in shock. A young woman about fifteen looked around and made her way to the empty chair. She wore white roses in her hair with a white dress. Her hair was midback with professionally styled curls. She looked rather serious about the mattter. It was Sakuya Mazaki. Was she the host?

_"Well, this is an intersting discovery," _thought Kyoya.

Everyone looked rather surprised and curious. Sakuya sat down and greeted everyone with a small voice.

"Uh, good evening everyone. My name is Mazaki Sakuya. My father was supposed to come to the dinner party to talk about some business, but he is a tad busy. After the dinner, please go up to his study room were he will explain the details. For now though, please enjoy the meal, and thank you for your patience," She said eloquently.

Everyone nodded in approval and went back to their discussions. Kyoya glanced at his father who at the moment looked rather impressed.

"That girl, does she go to your school?" he asked.

Kyoya nodded. Ohtori-san rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Kyoya sighed. He knew what was coming next.

"I'll go talk to her," he said willingly.

Ohtori-san patted Kyoya's back and left him to do what he usually did with people his father wanted good relationships with. He approached Sakuya as she was talking in perfect English with the American fellow. He tapped her shoulder lightly, and she turned to look at him.

***

A tap on my shoulder was all it took for me to aknowledge the person that was trying to get my attention. What I didn't count on, was being face to face with the dark lord. Kyoya Ohtori-senpai. I gasped and turned pale.

"Kyoya-senpei?" I asked in surprise.

He smiled and nodded.

"Hello there, Mazaki-kohai. I see that you're today's host for the night," He observed.

I nodded slowly. Damn. Just my luck. Geez. I can see that I have the worst luck in the world.

"Yes. As I said before, my father is a bit busy, so I took over for a bit. Uhm, so what brings you here?" I asked.

He chuckled lightly.

"My father was invited as a friend by one of the original guests. Was this an invite only party?" he asked.

I shook my head. How should I know? This was short notice for me in the first place. I sighed heavily. The replica of Santa Claus (I later found out his name was Nicholas Hawkins or Mr. Hawkins.) grabbed my hand and pulled me in front of the Christmas tree. He grinned.

"Picture time. Hope ya' don't mind. I was plannin' on showin' my gal a photo of the sweet angel I came across here in Japan," he explained.

I smiled quietly and nodded. He flicked his thumb at the camera that was being held by one of the guests in signalling we were ready. I smiled at the camera freely and waited for the flash. I silently prayed that Kyoya wouldn't think of telling everyone of what he just saw. I was seriously not ready for more blackmail.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Little Pieces of My Heart**_

**_Hi again from Yukihime211. _**I'm so blown away! _ over 100 readers in just one day. Once more, thank you to all my faithful readers. Sorry if this special is a little late. Didn't get any wifi at my aunt's house and still needed to finish a few paragraphs. The chapter might seemed rushed so sorry. ^-^ **_Disclaimer:Do not own any of Ouran except my OC's. Some of the people might sound AU so sorry._**

Chapter 7

It Has Arrived

Yet another week had passed by with only a few short days until the Host Club Christmas party would begin. The past week had been hell for Sakuya and Haruhi as the whips were coming down hard for them to to get the dance perfect before the party. Tamaki was...well being Tamaki. There wasn't much he could do but watch with remorse for the girls. The preperations for the party were all set and Kyoya was busily selling tickets for the party. Hunny was with Kyoya using his cuteness to attract buyers. Mori, for the first time was by himself just watching silently. The twins were barking commands at the girls who were looking quite exhausted.

***

Ah! I was drenched in sweat and my face was flushed with heat. I began wheezing and tried to catch my breath. Dark splotches were hazing my vision as I felt myself ready to pass out. I noted the same expression on Haruhi's face. Were these guys trying to drive us to our **deathbeds** early?

"More movement! Haruhi stop being so stiff!" cried out Hikaru.

We had been at this for practically the **whole** day!!! If I didn't get any rest, I was going to call it quits. My feet were beginning to drag slightly. Letting go of Haruhi's hands, I slipped slightly to the ground and puffed out air. No more. I just couldn't take it anymore. Never in my life had I worked this hard on something so trivial. Haruhi sat down next to me and the two of us wheezed. Hikaru walked over to the two of us and grabbed our arms. He tugged slightly on our arms.

"Get up you two. We're not even **remotely** finished with practice," he countered.

I wish this guy would just chill. I wheezed slightly and wiped away the sweat on my brow with my handkerchief.

"*_Wheeze*_ We _*Wheeze* _need some time to_*Wheeze & cough* _catch our breath," I explained.

Haruhi nodded. Kaoru walked over cautiously.

"Maybe you two should go to the nurse's office or something. Both of you look kind of sick," Kaoru explained.

I scoffed. Says the one who pushed us to our limit. What was up with him? Did he have a split personality or something?

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I asked.

My heartbeat had slowed considerably, but I was wiped out. There was no way that I would get up from the ground anytime soon. Haruhi had already stood up and slinked over to the couch. He sat down and closed his eyes. The twins kneeled to my level.

"Aren't you going to get up?" they asked.

I looked at them as if they were nuts. Tamaki sat down next to Haruhi with worry. My head was seriously killing me. I shifted my legs and tried to stand, but my legs felt way too wobbly. I shook my head.

"I-I can't. My legs are so numb, I don't even think I can walk," I said while rubbing my arm slightly.

The twins looked over slightly apalled.

"Have we really pushed her too far?" questioned Kaoru.

After one more attempt, I knew I wouldn't be able to move for quite some time. Great. **Now this** had to happen.

"Can I have a little help here?" I asked.

The twins glanced over at Mori. An anime sweat drop formed on the back of Mori's head, but he complied and walked over in my direction. He took a hold of my waist and gave me a princess lift. The grip on Mori tightened around his neck as he strode over to the couch and set me down. Tamaki looked over in even more concern.

"Sakuya-chan! Are you alright?! We must summon a doctor at once!" cried out Tamaki.

I sighed. This guy was really getting on my nerves. Hikaru groaned.

"We've already gone over this, M'lord. Don't get all **emotionally** unstable or something. She's just tired. It'll pass in a few hours or so._ I think_," he explained and muttered towards the end.

My ears perked. Did I just **hear** what I thought I **heard**? '**I think?!'** I crossed my arms and glared at him. I took out my cellphone and called my driver.

"Who are you calling?" probed Kaoru.

I turned away from him.

"It's none of your business," I declared.

He took a hold of my shoulders and twisted me to face him.

"Don't be stingy," he said with furrowed eyebrows.

I arched an eyebrow. What was stingy about wanting to have **privacy?** I groaned.

"I you must know, I'm calling my driver. Ugh! I feel so **sweaty **and **sticky**. What I need is a long shower to feel more comfortable," I explained.

The ringtone went on for about a minute, and was finally answered. I smiled. This was the perfect chance to skip out on practice. No one would stop me. Even **heartless** jerks have **some** common sense. After a few minutes of discussion on the phone, my ride was set.

***

After the leave of Sakuya and Haruhi, the twins were with Tamaki. Sakuya had graciously asked Haruhi if she wanted a ride home. Haruhi accepted mainly because she wanted to get away from Hikaru and Kaoru. The two grumbled amongst themselves. Kyoya and Hunny walked in and surveyed the room.

"Where'd Saa-chan and Haru go?" asked Hunny.

Mori stood.

"The two went home to rest," he explained.

Kyoya checked his list.

"We've sold over 500 tickets today. I'm sure that by tomorrow it will double. Maybe even triple if we were to broaden the audience more than to just females," explained Kyoya.

The twins sat up a little straighter. They had the perfect plan. Kyoya smirked slightly when he realized the three of them had the same idea.

***

"You've **got **to be kidding me," I said in disbelief.

Posters of ticket sales were scattered through out the school. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but I was mad as hell right about now. Let me put it this way, since it had something to do with the fact that...**I** was on the poster. Mr. Hawkins or aka Santa Claus was with me. This was the picture taken at the party last week. An inkling told me that Kyoya was written **all** over it. On the bottom it was scrolled in Hikaru and Kaoru's handwrinting,"For all those guys out there, there will be a card match in which the **top **scorer gets to be in a picture with the Host Club's latest member. So buy your ticket today!" Curse the three! Were they all to **get me** or something? Haruhi walked over to me in awe.

"Woah. When did these get posted? Wait...isn't that you, Sakuya-chan?" asked Haruhi.

I nodded and sighed. Now I was **bound** by **commitment **to go to the party. Wait...how was I the **latest **member? I wasn't a host. I was a **lackey** to the **twins**. Silently, I made my way to the club room. The only way I was going to be able to get the real story was to go and find those three and see what was going on through their mind. I never would have expected Kyoya to go along with the twin's plans, but then again, maybe **he** was the mastermind behind the whole thing. I mean, the only way he could have gotten the photo would either be through one of the guests or Yoneko. Upon entering the club, I looked around in disbelief. Even more posters were scattered in stacks. Everyone except Haruhi and I were working on finishing the rest of the posters. Were they **all** against me?

"What are you doing?" I asked with slight irritation.

Everyone glanced back at me and then went back to work. Hunny and Mori walked over in aknowledgement.

"Hi Saa-chan! What are you doing here so early?" asked Hunny cutely.

My anger melted at his voice. I slipped up a small smile and tilted my head slightly.

"Hi Hunny-senpei," I said smiling. I tapped my cheek in wonder. "Well, I think I came here for a reason, but I seem to have forgotten why," I finished.

I froze when I saw the posters. I scolded myself for acting so out of character. Hunny may be older than me, but his form reminds me of an elementary school student. I marched over to the twins and crossed my arms. While tapping my foot impatiently, I waited for them to look over at me. Kaoru looked away from the poster and at me. He waited for whatever I needed to say.

"Could you explain to me, **why** I wasn't **informed** that **my** picture was being used for **advertisement**?" I asked.

Hikaru glanced back at me simply.

"Well, we figured that using your picture would increase our ticket sales," explained Hikaru.

So they were using me as a **scapegoat** to earn more **money?!** Did Hikaru **even** have any **empathy**? I sighed.

"Okay, then could you please explain to me **why** on the poster it said something about me being the Host Club's new **member**?" I questioned.

Kaoru grinned. He placed an arm around my shoulders. I looked over at him suspiciously.

"That's a cover up. Do you really think others would think its okay if they found out that you were our personal assistant?" asked Kaoru.

I nodded slightly. I saw his point there. That didn't necissarily mean that I liked it though. Kaoru slipped his arms off my shoulders and went back to work. I guess this wouldn't be so bad. As long as Haruhi was there to talk to. I sat on the couch and sighed heavily. I couldn't wait for winter vacation to start. Rising from the couch, I began my journey back to homeroom. I needed extra time to finish an assignment. Waving goodbye as I left the club, I decided that there was no choice but to go dress shopping after school.

***

Kyoya smiled as yet another person had purchased a ticket to the party. He congratulated himself for coming up with such a brilliant plan. The posters scattered around the school had definitely brought in many single guys. Middle schoolers were **begging** to get tickets. Unfortunately, the party was for high schoolers only. Hikaru and Kaoru passed by and ceased walking.

"How's business going?" asked Kaoru.

Kyoya nodded and smiled.

"Perfect. Sales have actually **quadrupled**. I'm practically almost out of tickets. Seems I've diminished to about twenty," he explained.

The two nodded.

"Why don't you put up the last twenty on the website and double the prices. Like exclusive tickets or something?" asked Hikaru.

Kyoya smirked. He seemed very pleased.

"I like the way you think," he observed.

The two waved goodbye while Kyoya contemplated the certain price on the final tickets.

***

Standing in front of the mirror for the first time in a while, I admired the reflection. Wardrobe, makeup, and hair stylists really outdid themselves. The day had arrived for the party to commence. Christmas Eve was upon us. Outside my window, the sky was a dark blue shade as the sun was diminishing. My father had just left the house a few hours ago on a plane trip to Germany. I sat on my bed slightly. The twins had forced upon me the fact that they were going to pick me up at my house. I **really **didn't want them to even have the slightest **notion **of where I lived. Well, there wasn't really much I could do to stop them now. Countless scenarios ran through my head of what would happen soon after knowing where I lived. I shook my head to try and not think about all this. As I stood from the bed, a pair of lights blinded me slightly from the window. They had arrived.

***

Hikaru and Kaoru drove through the streets in their limosine. The mansion came into view and their driver parked outside the gates. Hikaru sighed easy going while wearing a tan colored suit with double buttons on the coat with a white crisp dress shirt underneath. He wore a bow on his neck that was a white color. (Think of the twin's outfit from episode 25 in the manga on page 159.) Kaoru wore the exact thing. The twins walked out of the car and buzzed on the intercom near the gates.

"May I help you?" asked a female voice.

Hikaru placed his finger on the speaker button.

"We're here to pick up Sakuya," he informed.

The gates opened and the two entered the house. The doors opened to reveal one of the maids. She smiled and bowed slightly.

"Good evening young masters. Are you here to pick up Sakuya-sama?" she asked.

The two nodded and looked around the walls. They were pretty bare and had a few paintings. A very strange environment for an only child, if they didn't say so themselves. The maid nodded and bounded up the steps with excitement. Hikaru yawned and Kaoru looked rather disappointed. He would have expected the place to give out more information on the still strange Sakuya. The soft click of heels made the twins turn their heads. A pale colored high heel came into view. Their eyes traveled slightly higher to see a silver colored silk dress that went passed the knees. It flowed gently as she walked down the stairs with her hair styled in cascading curls. Her eyes traveled and fell upon the twins. Hikaru and Kaoru stared in awe. Kaoru's heart skipped a beat and his cheeks colored. She took the final step and was standing in front of them.

***

I looked up to gaze upon the twins. The two just stared at me for a few seconds. I arched an eyebrow in wonder.

"Uhm, hi guys," I said curiously.

The two blinked once and then broke out into a grin. They wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"You sure got yourself spiffed up," observed Hikaru.

I sighed. We walked out of the house and I waved goodbye to Yoneko. I looked up at Hikaru.

"It **is** a party," I commented.

The three of us entered the limosine. Doors closing, I looked out the window while watching the street lights beginning to flicker on.

"So, you excited about the party?" asked Kaoru.

I thought it over.

"Honestly? Not one bit," I said.

The two chuckled. As the school got into view, I noticed a few cars already parked out in front. I stepped out of the car and felt the cool breeze on my skin. I smiled.

"Well, let's get going. We're supposed to get there early so that we can greet the others when they walk in," pointed out Hikaru.

The clicking of heels and shoes echoed the empty school. A dim light was seen from the first floor main hall in the central building. Was that where the party was going to be held? The double doors opened to reveal an orchestra group sitting in their seats waiting for the party to begin. An overflowing variety of food was set on the table. Strangely enough, there was a poker table and cards with chips set up. Haruhi, Mori, Hunny and Tamaki greeted us warmly. I looked around the room.

"Where's Kyoya-senpei?" I asked.

Tamaki smiled and looked ready to hug me once more. Hikaru and Kaoru looked over at me in wonder. It was as if they were wondering why I would even be asking for him.

"He'll be here soon. Although, it's not like him to be the last one to arrive," commented Tamaki.

I took notice of the fact that Tamaki was wearing an all white tuxedo with gloves. I guess it suited him. Everyone was in tuxedos. The doors became ajar as Kyoya entered the room looking very pleased.

"Hey Kyoya. What took ya?" asked Hikaru.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses slightly.

"While on my way here, I decided to check the biddings on the tickets. Which I may add only had one left as of today. There was a bidding for the last minute ticket that really needed my attention," Kyoya explained.

Haruhi looked over in shock.

"You mean to say that you were autioning off the last ticket with two bidders going so far as paying way more than necissary to get in?" he asked.

Kyoya nodded. I gaped.

_"There were actually **people** out there going out of there way to get tickets to a **silly **party?"_ I thought to myself.

Hunny skipped slightly in excitement.

"It's almost time to open! I can't wait to try that new chocolate cake," he said happily.

The lights were dimmed and a single candle was clock stroke six and the doors opened.

"A single candle illuminates the way out of darkness and guides lost sheep in their right path. Tonight, we guide you into the grandest of events!" called out Tamaki.

People walked in admiring the scene and enjoying other people's company. A few guys walked over towards me smiling like idiots.

"Hi Sakuya-chan," they said happily.

I plastered on a fake smile.

"Good evening," I answered.

I bowed slightly and walked off. The twins followed not far behind me.

"That was cold," they commented.

I glanced at them silently.

"How was that cold? I said good evening. Besides, I was sort of pushed into this by **you** two," I countered.

Everyone went about their business with the ocassional banter of the twins going on about top winners getting a kiss from Tamaki and a picture with me. Like I really looked forward to having my picture taken with some stranger. Every few minutes, I was bombarded by a group of guys. This was getting out of hand. After finding my escape, I made my way out of the party and through glass pained double doors leading to the outside garden. I sighed in relief. The wind brushed against my skin cooly. The sky was bleached white with the threat of starting to snow. I didn't mind. I happen to enjoy snow. As long as I'm able to get home without getting into a car accident. The door to the party opened as I looked out into the bare garden. A shoe tapped loudly on the porch. I glanced sideways to see a tall male shadow.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Sakuya," said an English speaking male voice.

I gasped and spun around in time to see a guy with icy blue eyes and pitch black close cropped hair. He wore a clean cut tux and smirked.

"Ryan?" I asked in disbelief.

***  
Hunny grinned happily as he wolfed down his third plate of cake. Everyone was gathered around in talking to others about how they usually spent their Christmas.

"So, what do you do for Christmas?" asked Hikaru to Haruhi.

Haruhi was pensive for quite some time until she nodded.

"Well, my dad usually works overtime and comes home with a fruitcake from boss. Sometimes I watch the Katto family special. They gave out good tips how to cut fruitcake," she explained.

Tamaki began crying wildly and grabbed a hold of Haruhi's shoulders.

"You're **alone** on Christmas eve while watching the Katto **family** invite you into their home of happiness?! Oh how cruel!" cried out Tamaki.

Haruhi sighed.

"Have you been watching too many reruns or something. That stuff really doesn't bother me. Back then, I didn't need to worry about **you** guys. Anyway, are you really going to cut my debt in **third** if I go through with the dancing?" asked Haruhi.

Kyoya just nodded. The twins drifted off towards the table and tallying the counts of who was winning so far. They grinned and whispered to one another a twist in the plan.

***

Ryan smirked slightly and walked closer.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

He ran a hand through his hair. Did he get a haircut? I shook my head. This was no time to get distracted. I crossed my arms.

"Well, I **am** on vacation. I just decided to pay you a **visit,**" he answered.

I backed up slightly towards the wall. He walked closer. I don't know why, but I just didn't feel right.

"You know I turned you down. Why are you following me?" I asked.

He tilted his head slightly and placed a hand on the wall to block my escape. His face inched closer to mine.

"Don't you know I never give up on things that interest me?" he questioned.

The doors opened slightly and Hunny popped out his head with Mori next to him.

"Saa-chan? What are you doing out here?" asked Hunny.

Ryan pulled away and looked over in surprise. I looked over at Ryan slightly and walked over towards Mori and Hunny and sighed.

"Just getting some fresh air. I just happened to bump into an old friend. I'd like you to meet Ryan," I said.

I knew I was lying, but it would be better not to alarm them. Besides, I was sure that after the end of the week he'd be heading home. Ryan waved and walked back into the party to blend in. Hunny glanced over suspiciously but just shrugged.

"That reminds me, we're supposed to go inside. There's a surprise waiting for you," he said smiling.

I nodded and walked inside with the two curiously. The twins grinned and everyone smiled. Tamaki handed me a wrapped package. I looked up in surprise.

"For me?" I asked.

He nodded. This was the first time that anyone outside the family had ever given me a gift. I looked up once more.

"It's a gift from everyone to you," explained Haruhi.

My eyes began to water.

"But I never got anything for any of you," I said with guilt.

Hunny shook his head.

"Its okay. Your company is all we need. Right guys?" asked Hunny cutely while staring directly at the twins.

The twins rubbed the back of their heads in embarrassment.

"Yeah, yeah," they said in unision.

This was like shedding a new light on everyone. Maybe they weren't so bad. After countless dancing and mingling, the party was coming to a close. The twins were on the microphones once more.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Our party is almost coming to a close and now we have tallied up all the points. We have now chosen our two winners. One female, one male. This time, the lucky girl will get the kiss from **Haruhi Fujioka**!" cried out Kaoru.

Tamaki stared in surprise. That was not what was planned.

"Alright, can Miyako-san please come up to claim her prize!" called out Hikaru.

Tamaki stared frantically at Kyoya.

"What is the meaning of this?" he cried.

Kyoya just smiled.

"I just suggested that the twins switch it up a bit. You know make it a surprise," explained Kyoya.

Tamaki was really mad. Did he not want the limelight taken off him? Well whatever. The girl walked up to Haruhi as he took hold of her chin and was ready to plant one on her cheek. Tamaki rushed over to stop it when he grabbed his coattails and Haruhi kissed the girl straight on the lips. The crowd went wild while calling Tamaki a kiss-a-holic with Haruhi agreeing. The twins laughed heartily. I sighed. I glanced at the twins.

"Okay. Now for the lucky winner who'll have a picture taken with the lovely Sakuya," finalized Kaoru.

Suspense was in the air as the twins tore the letter that kept the name.

"Eichi Sakurada!!" they called out.

A guy with glasses walked up smiling and stood close to me as the picture was taken. Something that to me, really wasn't a big deal. Everyone clapped. I sighed. The final dance had arrived and the twins held out their hands to take mine. I accepted it smiling. They really were okay people, once you got to know them.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Little Pieces of My Heart**_

**_Hi again from Yukihime211. _**Thank you so much to all my readers. Especially Strawberry Sunset for always reviewing each chapter even though it's not required. ^-^ Well this is a little late, but Happy New Year! Sorry for updating a week later. School started this Monday and last week I needed to focus on HW. Anyway, since I delayed the chapter, this is going to be extra long. Sorry to those that hate reading long chapters. Just letting you know that there is going to be a somewhat...interesting scene towards the end. I'm not sure what the outcome will be of what you think, so please give me your honest criticism if needed. **_Disclaimer:Do not own any of Ouran except my OC's. Some of the people might sound AU so sorry._**

Chapter 8

Uknown Feelings

Sunday afternoon came along as the eventful day passed about two days ago. I rubbed my temples in wonder what I was going to do to repay my friends for the thoughtful gift I had recieved. It was probably a little late to get them gifts, but I guess I could get them something. I was sitting at my desk and looking into my dinosaur of a computer and surfing the internet. Even if I'd been with them for about three weeks, I didn't really know what to get them.

"Well, Hunny loves cake, and that stuffed animal of his, so I could probably get him something sweet or a cute teddy bear," I said aloud.

I scribbled down the gift on my list. I propped my elbows on the table and rested my head on my hands. Looking out the window, I wondered what to get for the twins.

"The twins are always into pranks, but I can't think of anything that would suit them. I'll come back to them. Now Tamaki, he seems to love drama. Maybe a dvd set of some sappy soap opera. Well, actually, he'd be happy with just about anything given to him. I'll go with the dvd set," I concluded.

Two down, five to go. I toyed around with my hair for a while. The next on my list was Haruhi. He was a little harder to figure out. Sometimes he'd cook, I guess. But he also liked reading. My face brightened. I stood up and pumped my fist in the air.

"Of course! A cookbook," I proclaimed.

Yoneko stuck her head into my room. She glanced at me strangely.

"Are you alright Sakuya-sama. I thought I heard someone talking," she said.

I chuckled slightly embarrassed and sat on my chair.

"Sorry Yoneko. That was me. I was getting a little carried away. I was just trying to think up of gifts my friends would want. I know they're going to be a little late, but I don't think they'll mind," I inputed.

She nodded and left silently. I sighed and shook my head. I really needed to stop talking to myself.

_"Well, Three down, four to go," _I thought to myself.

Well, I guess I'd move on to Mori. He was really quiet and I really wasn't sure what he was into besides kendo. Well, he hung out with Hunny a lot, that was for sure. Ooh! This was frustrating. I decided to take a little break and absentmindedly typed in Ouran High School Host Club. I clicked the mouse and what appeared on the screen surprised me. It was the website. Huh. I decided to check it out and clicked on the website. I scanned the profile for anything that would help me figure out a gift for the final four. My eyes fell across Mori's love for animals. Who would have guessed? Maybe a keychain with a mini replica of a penguin or something. But that wouldn't seem right. I know! A puppy. Well, not a real one, but a stuffed animal. Tamaki, Haruhi, Hunny, and Mori's gifts were scribbled onto a piece of paper that would be later used to buy the items. I stood from my chair and collapsed on my queen sized bed. Only three to go. Now there was Kyoya and the twins left. This was seriously going to be tough now. That was it. No more thinking. They could wait. I stood from my bed and walked out the door.

***

The twins were lying in bed in boredom. It was 12:00 pm and they were not going to get out of bed anytime soon. It was a weekend for crying out loud. Their mother had gone off to some convention on new designs for her line of clothing. Usually, Tamaki had planned out some big commoner thing that everyone would partake in, but today, it was nothing.

"There's nothing to do," Hikaru complained.

Kaoru nodded in agreement.

"Why don't we go visit Haruhi or Sakuya today. They'll probably be home," interjected Kaoru.

Hikaru rubbed his chin slightly in thought. He slowly nodded.

"I guess, but wouldn't be weird to be the only two that go? I mean, usually its the whole group," countered Hikaru.

The two sat up in bed from their bed and decided to just get ready. No use lying in bed all day when they could have been pulling a prank Tamaki. The twins showered and dressed quickly and made their way out the door. A few of their maids bowed slightly and went back to their business. Their driver stared vacantly at the road with the car in park. Hikaru and Kaoru slammed the door shut as they entered the car.

"Let's head over to Tamaki's place," ordered Hikaru.

The driver nodded and they sped off to make some mischief.

***

Wrapping paper was strewn across the room as gifts were being placed in an assortment of boxes. Maids were frantically getting the presents ready in time for their young mistress to come home from shopping. The staff had all thought that Sakuya's Christmas was unfair with not a single present under the tree. They had all peeked at her things when she had left and found that she had recieved a gift from her friends. It was a beautiful jewelry box that played a tune when opened. Inside was an assortment of small gifts placed there by the club. One was an oversized butterfly clip that was the color of the rainbow. Another was a pair of earings with a small graphic of strawberries. A white choker with a tiny bell placed on the front of it and another identical choker only colored black. A small crystal replica of a cat sat cushioned on the foam. A small crown sat shining brightly in the middle of the jewelry box and dazzeled the staff most of all. Lastly, there was a royal blue bow made from silk ribbons sitting gently next to the crown. As the final boxes were being wrapped, the sound of a car pulling up made the staff jump up in surprise. Running and quiet shouting began as everyone was trying to pick up the mess before Sakuya even set foot inside the house. The door handle began to turn slowly.

***

A handful of bags handicapped both my vision and both my hands. After buying the gifts for most of the club, I decided that the staff deserved something for all their hard work. Thus, I was carrying so many wrappd presents. Using my driver as a guide, we walked slowly towards the door. He opened the door and I walked inside quietly. As I descended the steps, a pair of hands came from behind and grabbed my shoulders. I gasped and cried out in surprise. The bags went flying. Various gifts bounced down the stairs with loud thuds. I spun around to see Yoneko waving.

"Thanks a lot Yoneko," I said sarcastically.

She giggled and walked down the stairs to pick up the gifts.

"Why so many gifts?" she asked.

I smiled slightly and looked around at the staff.

"Well, I think all of the staff deserves a gift for always taking care of me," I explained.

Everyone looked at me in shock. I tilted my head in confusion. Some began tearing up. I smiled slightly and distributed the gifts to everyone. Once everything was distributed, I only had the gifts for the club. I bounded up the steps and placed my bags near the door. I'd be sure to give the gifts to them sometime next week.

***

Monday rolled along and school began. The twins were itching to go back and talk to Sakuya. They were excited about the vacation coming up soon. Yesterday they had planned out to go to shrines and just plain hang out with the whole club. The two strolled along to class 1-A and found Sakuya reading a book at her desk. Haruhi was next to her re-writing her notes. The two grinned and looked down at the two. Sakuya looked up with a raised eyebrow on what they were plotting. Haruhi just sighed as she knew something was up.

"Yo! What's up you two?" asked Hikaru.

Sakuya took her time in formulating the right words to say.

"Trying to study," explained Haruhi.

Kaoru wrapped an arm around Sakuya's shoulder.

"What about you?" he asked.

She smiled slightly.

"Reading," she said simply.

Kaoru blushed slightly and removed his arm from her shoulders. Ever since the party, she was a lot warmer towards the others. He didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad one. Hikaru watched his younger brother fluster slightly and made his way to his seat.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Haruhi looking up.

Hikaru's face brightened.

"Oh right. Well, we had a talk with M'lord and turns out that we made plans hanging out on New Year. Like go to shrines and stuff. You guy in?" he asked.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. She really wasn't all that up for it. She had plans with her dad to spend the countdown together. Thankfully, the place where her father worked at would be closed New Year's Eve. Now her plans were ruined.

"I don't know. I already decided to spend that day with my dad," she explained.

Hikaru looked over at the disintereseted Sakuya who had gone back to reading her book. He snatched the book from her grasp and she looked at him with mock annoyance.

"What do you say?" he asked.

***

I looked over at Hikaru and crossed my arms. It was getting to the good part too! I batted my eyelashes and tilted my head slightly.

"I'm sorry, but did you say something?" I asked.

A pratfall took a hold of Hikaru and I grinned as I snatched my book back from him. I giggled softly. This was kind of fun. I sighed as my mind kept getting wrapped with the upcoming holiday. Come to think of it, this would be the first year that I'd spend New Year alone. My father wasn't going to return for a while. My smile disappeared. I had no intention of being alone. I looked up at Hikaru seriously.

"Sorry. I did hear you. Count me in," I answered softly.

Hikaru looked at me in surprise with Haruhi having the same expression.

"What's with the change of attitude?" asked Haruhi.

I wrung my hands slightly and looked at the window quietly.

"I don't really want to talk about it," I informed.

Haruhi backed off slightly. He sat in his seat. The bell rang as class had started. Hikaru nodded.

"We'll talk about this later during club hours," decided Hikaru.

I nodded and placed my vision on the paper in front of me. There was going to be a pop quiz. Or so I was informed. The teacher walked in and we stood to greet our elder.

***

Tamaki smiled wide as plans to be with the girls were in place. The twins had decided to visit him yesterday to get a rise out of him, but subsided when they heard the plan that was forming in his mind. It was his dream to go out like commoners on New Year's Eve to the festivals and stalls as well as shrines and visit them. He had somehow convinced everyone to agree to his plan. He left the girls to the persuasive twins. Kyoya sat down in his usual seat calculating the duration of the time that they would take for each place that Tamaki was begging to see in the area.

`"Do you really think that Sakuya and Haruhi are going to agree to this ordeal?" questioned Kyoya.

Tamaki nodded with confidence.

"But of course! With the help of the twins, the two will just **have **to come with us," insisted Tamaki.

Kyoya sighed.

"If you say so," he said with submission.

***

Classes ended and Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi and I were on our way to the club room. Thinking back, I had never actually gone out with friends during New Year's Eve. I was always with my family laughing and talking about our New Year's Resolution. Of course, that was before my father got to be a powerful leader. Everyone sat on chairs and couches as they awaited the "King" to speak. I sighed and glanced over at Kyoya. Now that I think of it, he was really into computer stuff. A smile escaped my lips. All that was left was the twins. Maybe I'd give the club their presents once we were going around stalls. I nodded slightly.

"What are you so content about?" questioned Kyoya.

I closed my mouth slightly and just turned away.

"Nothing too important," I explained.

Tamaki grinned happily and took the form of a heroic pose.

"Good evening my fellow subjects! I have called you all today to discuss our recent planning on a commoner New Year's Eve outing," announced Tamaki.

Subjects? He must really be into some new drama on tv or something. Well, whatever.

"So, what about the specifics?" asked Kaoru.

Tamaki grinned.

"There seems to be a festival taking place in a park near Haruhi's neighborhood. I have come to the conclusion to have the whole club come out wearing traditional kimonos," Tamaki explained.

Haruhi crossed his arms and arched his brow. He looked slightly annoyed.

"You know Tamaki, no one our age is going to walk around wearing something so old fashioned at a festival. Those things are usually done around Bon in the summer. Besides, it is going to be pretty cold out that day," explained Haruhi.

Tamaki sat in his corner feeling crestfallen. I felt bad for him, but I would probably look weird wearing a kimono with my foreign looks. I walked over and tapped his shoulder. He looked up with sad puppy eyes. I took a step back and sighed.

"I'll wear the kimono to the festival," I offered.

His eyes lit up with happiness and he engulfed me in a bear hug. I gasped for breath from his bone crushing embrace.

"Thank you so much! This really means a lot to me," he said.

Hikaru tickled Tamaki's side rapidly and at once he let go of me. He began laughing out of control. Kaoru took a hold of my arm and pulled me away from where Tamaki was dying of laughter. I looked up to see him look at me strangely serious.

"Why did you agree to go with Tamaki's plan? Do you have a crush on him or something?" he asked.

What? Did he just say **crush**? While putting my acting skills to the test, I fake blushed and overlooked Tamaki.

"Well, he is pretty cute and he **is** very considerate," I observed.

Haruhi, Hikaru, Kaoru and Hunny closed in on me in shock.

"What?!" they all cried out.

I sighed and flipped my hair slightly. I rolled my eyes at their shock.

"I was **kidding**," I explained.

They all stared wide eyed. An anime sweat drop formed on the back of my head. The three talked amongst themselves.

"How can she like an **idiot **like him?" whispered Hikaru.

Haruhi backtracked and realization hit him.

"Well, they do have the same interests. I mean, she knows about subways and their busy schedules," concluded Haruhi.

I arched an eyebrow and crossed my arms.

"Really? I would have expected her to go for an intelligent guy like Kyoya," whispered Kaoru.

Hunny walked over with his stuffed bunny.

"She's in love with Tama-chan?" asked Hunny innocently.

Really. Did anyone even **wait **for me to talk? I barely got explaining that I was joking. I walked inside the circle and waved my hand slightly.

"Hello! Didn't I just get done telling you? Clearly I was joking," I said loudly.

Everyone went back to their seats. Tamaki sat down looking slightly drained from the tickle attack he had just recieved from Hikaru. I looked over at Mori who was quietly spacing out and looking out the window. I wonder what he was thinking about? Probably something deep. Kyoya smiled slightly.

"Well. That's probably just about it for today. We'll talk more about the details these few days and work things out," explained Kyoya.

The meeting adjourned as everyone was getting prepared to open up the club. I took my usual seat. Now that I thought about it, things would probably be different now that I was in pretty good terms with the club members. The club doors opened and the girls rushed in. I sighed and rolled my eyes. While taking out a book from my backpack, I noticed a pink card inside. I took it out and saw a picture of the twins smiling and winking. What was this? I opened the card and inside was a handwritten coupon for getting out of work for one full day. I smiled. I'd treasure this until the right time came where I **really** didn't want to do something.

"Hey Sakuya!" called out the twins.

I snapped out of my reverie and looked up to see the twins grinning. I scowled. Maybe things weren't going to change that much afterall.

"Yes?" I asked with crossed arms.

***

Days passed slowly as the time had come and the half day had rolled along. Ryan's eyebrows furrowed. He'd soon have to go back home without even making his move. Ryan had even gotten his hair cut to impress Sakuya. He was so close! But then the shrimp and the Amazon had to show up. He wondered how they knew her. He was pleased though, that he infiltrated the school system and was able to go inside due to his family ties. (He had a cousin that went to Ouran) As he packed his things, he looked out into the window from his second level room and smirked slightly. He'd be sure to come back another time. Maybe even make it permanent. As he slithered out of his room to make his way to the airport, he left a letter near the light stand that was adressed to Sakuya. Next to Sakuya's letter, he left a card explaining to his cousin to hand it to her when the time came. Of course, at the moment his cousin was at school and they were barely getting out for winter vacation. Well, he'd wait patiently for the letter to fall in Sakuya's hands. He nodded and made his way down the stairs.

***

The bell rang as people shuffled out of class and most of them were headed for home. A few girls walked into Music room three to say their biddings to the host club as many were heading out to Europe or the Americas. Hikaru and Kaoru sat on the couch together with Sakuya sitting in between them. She sighed and was texting on her cellphone in a bored manner. Haruhi stood with a tray of tea and small sweets with Hunny not trailing far behind. Mori carried both Hunny's bag as well as his own. Tamaki sat at the head chair with Kyoya sitting near the coffee table with his laptop. The girls giggled and greeted the whole club. After girls found out that Sakuya was admitted into the club, they began to think of her as just a cover for making profit for any upcoming events.

"Hi Tamaki!" called out a few girls as they chattered with happiness.

Tamaki smiled and beamed.

"Hello girls. What brings you here?" he asked.

The girls smiled and circled around him.

"We just wanted to say goodbye and hope you have a happy New Year," they said in unision.

Tamaki grinned childishly and looked quite refreshing.

"I sure will," he said.

The girls blushed and squealed as they left the room. This continued until it was nearly 5:00 for each member in their own way. Finally when the last of the girls left, the room sighed. The twins imitated their every move while fallinng back into their seats with exhaustion.

***

I yawned softly and overlooked the surroundings.

"You guys sure are popular. I wonder how you deal with Valentines day?" I said aloud.

The twins looked at me with a haggard face and collapsed on the couch. The two closed their eyes and acted like they passed out. I groaned and took a cautious step towards them. I came into reaching distance and poked Hikaru and Kaoru's cheek several times. I really just wanted to go home now, but my driver was probably with his family right now. I mean, this was the first time I'd stayed after school **this **late. I absentmindedly kept poking the two until they would finally show a reaction. Haruhi walked over in curiosity and tilted his head.

"What are you doing?" he questioned.

I looked over lazily and signaled the twins.

"Trying to get them to stand up. They're the only transportation I've got since my driver went on vacation," I explained.

Haruhi still looked puzzeled.

"Why don't you just call a cab?" asked Haruhi.

I crossed my arms lightly and sighed.

"I'm not allowed to do that. I always have to be supervised or go with friends. My dad can be pretty strict about these rules," I explained.

Haruhi nodded. The twins finally sat up and looked at me with confusion.

"Why's that?" they asked in unison.

I blushed slightly thinking back.

"A few years back, I had gotten into a huge fight with my parents. I was **so** mad, that I ran away from home," I explained.

They looked at me with wide eyes.

"You ran **away**?" they asked in disbelief.

I nodded solemnly.

"How long was it until they found you?" asked Kaoru.

I counted a few times in my mind and saw birds chirping softly. The sunset was a beautiful purple-pink color. I looked back at the three.

"Five days," I answered.

The three turned pale.

"**Five days**?! Are you **crazy**?! How'd you survive?" Hikaru asked.

A sad smile and chuckle rumbled at my throat. I looked away from them in shame.

"I stayed at a friend's house for the time and stayed pretty well hidden. I know it was wrong, but I was so fed up that I just couldn't take it anymore. After they finally found me, my father grounded me for a month. After that he became so worried that I'd try it again, that he appointed me a nanny to look after me. Eventually, I no longer needed one. But my father never took his eyes off me after that. Before entering middle school, he gave me a set of rules that I had to follow. So ever since then, I needed a chaperone at all times. After coming here, I was sort of set loose. I still need a driver or a staff member when I'm not with friends," I explained.

Silence rang through the room.

"Exactly how old were you when this happened?" asked Haruhi.

My mouth was clamped shut for about five minutes until I sighed.

"Ten," I muttered.

The three placed their ears close in my direction.

"Could you repeat that?" asked Kaoru.

I intook a deep breath.

"**TEN**!!" I cried out.

They backed up.

"Ten?!" they cried.

I nodded. Surprised looks rippled throughout the three. The twins closed in on me.

"You're tougher than we thought. Such a rebel," said Hikaru in a rather impressed voice.

I sighed. The four of us walked out of the room after noticing that everyone else had already left. As we walked down the hallway, a few stray teachers were packing up their things to head home for the break. Even though I was looking forward for the break, it would be kind of boring for the next few weeks. Haruhi, Hikaru, Kaoru and I were outside the school in just five minutes. Haruhi parted ways with us and waved back.

"See you tomorrow!" he called.

I waved back.

"Okay! See you then," I called back.

I entered the car with the twins and we made a quiet trip to my house. The car stopped at my gates where Yoneko was standing cautiously to make sure that I had arrived home safetly and report back to my loser of a father. I waved halfheartedly and she smiled as she walked over to open the gates.

"Good evening Sakuya-sama! Oh, why hello there! Are you two friends of Sakuya-sama?" she questioned innocently.

I took a step forward in protest for her to say any further. The twins grinned devilishly. My eyes widened. That smile meant trouble. The two wrapped an arm around me. Kaoru grabbed my waist and Hikaru had my shoulders.

"Actually, we're her boyfriends," they answered.

Yoneko blushed and looked at me with shock.

"Why Sakuya-sama! Why have you kept this from me?" she asked with mock hurt.

I groaned. She was just like them. She bowed at the two.

"Please don't do this," I begged.

She looked up slightly and winked.

"Take good care of my child," she said.

The twins grinned and nodded.

"Not to worry. We'll make sure she never gets hurt," inputed Kaoru.

She looked back at the house.

"Why don't you come inside for a while?" she asked.

My eyes widened. What **was **she **thinking**?!

"I don't think-" I started.

The twins grinned once more.

"Sure," they answered in unison.

We walked in with the twins still clinging on to me. Looked like I had no choice but to let them come in. We entered the house and Yoneko walked into the kitchen to prepare a snack. The twins let go of me and looked around again.

"This place is pretty empty. I'd expect this place to be filled with pictures or something," surveyed Hikaru.

A small chuckle escaped my lips.

"There used to be **tons** of photos at our old place. But my dad decided to pack them up in a box somewhere," I explained.

Kaoru looked up the stairs.

"Where does that lead to?" he pointed at the stairs.

I rolled my eyes.

"That leads up to the rooms. Including mine," I answered.

The two looked at eachother and grinned. They bolted up the steps towards the rooms. I looked over in shock. I ran after them in a hurry. Who knows what they'd be doing inside my room. When I entered my room, I was glad to see that there was no one inside. I sighed in relief and sat on my bed. Two heads popped in their heads into my room. Great.

***

The twins bolted upstairs and looked around in disbelief. There were so many rooms with the same dull brown color on each door. The soft pitter patter of feet creaked on the steps and traveled to the east wing of where doors seemed endless. As they walked, a pale blue door stood out against the other generic doors. They poked their heads in to find Sakuya in what looked like her room. The walls were painted a pale pink color with a queen sized bed facing the walls. A light blue desk with a computer from 05' was sitting there with the keyboard looking fairly brand new. The walls were posted with a few boy band posters and one or two anime posters as well as a few glow in the dark stars popping up every once in a while. A vanity with an assortment of skin products lined up with the curler and straightener. The carpet was a white fluffy color that reminded them of clouds. A small bookcase filled with books and manga stood in a corner with her closet looking fairly large from the outside. Overall, the room was somewhat girly. They entered the room and grinned.

"I would have never guessed that your room would look like this. I never pinpointed you as such a girly girl," noted Hikaru.

She crossed her arms and scowled.

***

I felt my face warm slightly and crossed my arms. How could he assume something like that? I never hit any of them, had I? Well, whatever. Kaoru walked over to my accesories and looked them over. Geez. What is this? Mi casa es su casa? They sure felt at home with this place. I sighed and sat on my bed in defeat. I looked back at my gift given to me by the club and just smiled. Yes they were sometimes a nuisance, but they were always there to listen. Kaoru got up in my face with curiosity.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Kaoru.

I looked up and sighed.

"Nothing," I answered.

He sat next to me and sat as if waiting for me to continue, which I didn't. Hikaru sat down on the other side. There was silence. Actually, it was kind of nice. After a while, Hikaru glanced over at me. I looked over in wonder.

"Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Just take right and keep going until you see a sign reading bathroom on it," I explained.

Sure, I had a bathroom in my room, but I wasn't going to let him in there. Nothing personal, but that's what guest bathrooms are for. Hikaru nodded and walked out of the room. Kaoru surveyed the room once more. He seemed really interested in it for some reason. Suddenly, he got up and pointed at a bag that held the presents I was planning on surprising the club with.

"Hey...what is that?" he asked.

I gasped. I stood in alarm. He inched closer.

"Nothing," I said a bit too quickly.

Kaoru wiggled his eyebrows in curiosity and grinned.

"Oh **really**?" he asked with suspicion.

He went in for the grab, but I took a hold of his arm and pulled with all my force. It was like a tug-of-war that lasted only a few minutes, until Kaoru began to feel tired. He let his guard down and with an abrupt whip effect, I pulled him towards me. I sighed with relief, until I lost my balance and pulled Kaoru along with me. Whump! I gasped in surprise.

***

Tamaki smiled as he got his kimono ready for tomorrow. He was so excited to finally be able to do a tradition he had always wanted to try with his friends. The head staff member as well as the oldest sat in her chair fixing the kimono for the weather by adding layers to keep him insulated. Her name was Shima Maezono and one of the calmest of the ever easy going staff members.

"Are you almost finished?" asked Tamaki with excitment.

Shima sighed and placed a wrinkly hand on his shoulder.

"You have to be patient. These things take time. Especially since you barely gave me a few days to get this together," she complained.

Tamaki smiled anyways. He checked outside to see the clouds darkening. He closed the drapes and only thought of positive thoughts.

"Tomorrow is going to be a great day. Sunshine and clear skies," he said with confidence.

Shima closed her eyes and looked at the small tv in front of her. She looked over at Tamaki.

"The forecast calls for rain and heavy winds," she pointed out.

Tamaki went into his corner.

***

Hunny sat in his dining room eating a big helping of cake with tea. He had just returned home from a long days work and he was hungry. Mori had come over to hang out when he found out that the parents were out. The two sat side by side while the ever silent young man just drank some tea. Hunny looked over at Mori with sparkles in his eyes.

"I can't wait to go to the festival tomorrow," Hunny said with excitement.

Mori nodded in agreement. He thought about visiting the shrine with his little brother, but Satoshi had plans with Yasuchika. Both parents were invited to a cocktail party the next day.

"Have you decided where to meet?" asked Mori.

Hunny thought about it for a while, but shrugged. He yawned softly.

"Usa-chan is tired. I'm going to go take a nap," informed the small boy.

Mori smiled and nodded. Many surprises would await them tomorrow.

***

Springs creaked ever so slightly. The room was silent with shock. Sakuya's few stuffed animals were sitting on a white bench staring directly at the bed. Kaoru gazed down at the pinned Sakuya. His hands had instinctively shot out when the two had fallen. He had fallen on her bed and akwardly enough, on top of her. A stroke of luck? Or a position that would lead to a misconception. His face warmed at the situation. He looked at her loose hair splayed around her pale face. Pale pink lips were dangerously inviting. He hadn't realized it before, but she smelled of lilac and faint cherry blossoms. She was quite soft, which wasn't such a shock since Hikaru and Kaoru always glomped her. His heart pounded loud enough to ring through his ears. She gazed back at him as if immobilized. (Well, she was currently since he had a hold of her wrists.) Her expression was hard to read as he wasn't sure what to make of it. He stared into her dark blue eyes as if he were in a trance. Placing a hand on her chin, he tilted it slightly and began to close the gap between his lips and hers.

***

Oh...My...God. I looked up at the petrified Kaoru. This was definitely the weirdest situation I had ever faced. My hands were pinned at my sides and Kaoru seemed to have forgotten how to move. He was in his own little Lala land. His honey colored eyes pierced holes through me. This was getting pretty uncomfortable. I began my trek to start moving, when I suddenly froze.

_"What? Why can't I move?"_ I questioned mentally.

It wasn't the fact that Kaoru had my wrists. More like my body wasn't responding to my brain. I looked up at Kaoru's eyes and felt my heart begin to palpilate with wonder. Our eyes met dead on, and like a lure, Kaoru took a hold of my chin. I caught my breath in disbelief. His face came closer to mine until our bangs were touching. I began to panic and felt my face warm. I closed my eyes and intook a deep breath.

"Stop!" I cried out.

Kaoru took taken aback and looked down at me with surprise. He had finally snapped out of it. He pulled back in alarm.

"What is wrong with me?!" he cried out in alarm.

I stood up and pressed a hand to my heart. My heart was pounding and my face was red.

_"What had just almost happened?"_ I wondered.

I looked over at Kaoru who blushed in embarrassment. He looked over at me with red cheeks.

"Geez. I don't know what came over me," he said outloud. "Gomen," he muttered.

I looked away and nodded.

"I-It was my fault. I should be the one apoligizing," I countered.

Kaoru sat on my chair and buried his face in his hands. He stood up and blushed when he looked at me. I didn't meet his gaze.

"I should get going," he explained.

I nodded and he opened the door only to bump into Hikaru and Yoneko. They all looked over it shock.

"Where are you going?" questioned Yoneko.

Kaoru just passed by. I sat back down and felt my face flush even more and felt in even more shock. Hikaru glanced over at me and looked down at Yoneko.

"I should probably get going," he explained.

She nodded in understanding. He took one more good look at me and was in the midst of leaving when he headed back.

"Did you forget something?" asked Yoneko.

Hikaru nodded.

"Yeah. Hey Sakuya! Don't forget to meet us in front of Haruhi's house. Oh, and don't for get to wear your kimono," he called out.

I looked over in suprise as he left.

_"That's right. The plans to go with the group on New Year's Eve,"_ I recalled.

Yoneko sat on my desk with a knowing look and crossed her arms.

"Exactly what just happened?" she asked in a stern voice.


	9. The Festival

_**Little Pieces of My Heart**_

**_Hi again from Yukihime211. Gomen! I'm sorry for not updating in almost 3 weeks. What with finals and studying, I was really busy. But anyway, This chapter is over 50 pages so sorry for those who hate reading. This is a new year chapter and is pretty late, so thank you to all my fellow readers. Hope you enjoy. ^-^_****_Disclaimer:Do not own any of Ouran except my OC's. Some of the people might sound AU so sorry._**

Chapter 9

The Fesival

New Year's Eve had arrived at last. Clouds had strangely enough been cleared and blue skies were engulfing the area. Tamaki's prediction had become a reality. People chattered outside happily as some of them were out shopping for their last minute groceries. It was around ten in the morning and mothers were inside preparing their dishes for later in the evening. Ramen shops were packed with people as they came to eat noodles to determine their life span. Others were lining up to get their strengths tested in the arcade down the street. A bustling morning most would find rather natural. In the bustling area of wealth, maids, butlers, and chefs were hard at work to have cocktail parties possible. Winds were calm and the clear sun warmed the pavement. Although slightly chilly, it was a pretty day. Inside Suoh Mansion #2 Tamaki was happily prancing around like an idiot. The ever easygoing staff chuckled and giggled.

"I see Tamaki is in a good mood today," commented the driver.

One of the maids nodded and giggled.

"He was **so** happy when he woke up this morning to see clear skies when the weather man said it would be raining," she explained.

Shima walked around wearing her usual granny kimono to inspect the others. Everyone went back to work, but easy going as ever. In her hands, she held the completed kimono she had been working on practically all that week.

"You finished my kimono, Shima?" he asked with excitement.

Shima nodded and handed it to him.

"Before you even **think **it. Please refrain from putting it on too early. I barely had it starched and prepared and should only be put on **after** you leave at six," she informed.

Tamaki made big puppy eyes.

"I don't think I can wait that long. I'd probably **die**," he exagerated.

Shima sighed. It felt like she was arguing with a six year old.

***

Haruhi was in the kitchen preparing the meals that her father would be eating. Turned out, plans with her dad were cancelled as the boss had decided to stay open for business since many people would be out partying until sunrise. She sighed and sat on a pillow. Looking out the window, she saw the clear skies. There was only two choices. Stay home alone or go out with the group. She **really **wasn't up for walking around town until midnight or later. Nothing wrong with that, but she just wanted to stay home and have a peaceful New Year. The phone snapped her out of her reverie and she quickly answered.

"Moshi moshi," answered Haruhi.

A long pause was received from the other line, but soon after the person answered.

"Uhm, is this the Fujioka residence?" asked a female voice.

Haruhi wondered who it could be.

"Yes. Who is this?" she asked.

There was another long silence.

"This is Mazaki Sakuya. Could I please speak with Fujioka ku-, I mean Haruhi?" she asked.

Haruhi looked slightly shocked. Sakuya was actually calling **her** house?

"Speaking. What's up Sakuya?" Haruhi asked.

A sigh of relief filled the receiver of the phone.

"Oh good. I'm glad you were the one who answered. Sorry. I wasn't sure if I had the right number. Nice weather we're having, huh?" she asked.

Haruhi agreed.

"I guess my prediction for cold weather was wrong. I'm sure Tamaki was bouncing off the walls this morning when he woke up," explained Haruhi.

Sakuya laughed softly.

"You're probably right. Anyway, I know this is a personal question and all, but could you possibly come over? I have a favor I'd like to ask," she explained.

Haruhi wondered exactly what it could be as she looked outside the window once more. She sighed.

"Alright. But I probably won't be able to get there until four, which wouldn't give you much time if it has anything to do with the festival," she explained.

Sakuya chuckled softly.

"No it actually has to do with something else. I'm sorry that I can't provide the transportation, but I'm not allowed to leave the house right now," she explained.

Haruhi wondered silently what had happened for her to say that.

"Well, I guess I can jus take the bullet train over or something," realized Haruhi.

She heard muffled voices in the background.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. Yoneko is glaring at me. I'll see you soon. Ja ne," Sakuya replied.

Haruhi set the phone in its cradle and sighed. She finished the last of her dishes and left a note for her father that she was going out.

***

Hikaru and Kaoru were sitting in the dining room. They cupped their chin with their hand and rested their elbow on the table. Kaoru had been seemingly quiet since returning home from Sakuya's house yesterday. Hikaru wondered exactly what had happened those short ten minutes that had made his little brother run like there was some sort of forest fire at the turn of the door. Sakuya looked rather surprised and slightly red when Hikaru had arrived. As dense as he was, he could tell that there was something that Kaoru wasn't telling him. Hikaru set his attention at his surroundings. They were in the kitchen after they had finished up eating their breakfast and were just lounging around killing time until five.

"Hey Kaoru," started Hikaru.

Kaoru looked up lazily with drooping eyes. He hadn't gotten enough sleep last night since he had stayed up all night replaying what had almost happened. He sighed and nodded in aknowlegement.

"Yeah Hikaru?" asked Kaoru.

Hikaru hestitated in answering, but decided that it was better to address the problem directly.

"What happened yesterday at Sakuya's house?" he asked.

Kaoru looked up with pink cheeks, but composed himself with a happy grin.

"Nothing really. I was just messing with her and then she got all flustered," commented Kaoru.

Not completely a total lie. He was messing with her about the bag, but then he breezed by the _incident_. Hikaru nodded, but wasn't completely satisfied. Kaoru stood from the table and headed upstairs to have some alone time. Hikaru stayed put and vowed he would find out what had happened yesterday with his little brother and Sakuya.

***

Kyoya sat at his desk with his laptop turned on as he reviewed the website to see an inbox filled with useless love letters. He might as well get to reading and sort letters to keep everyone in good terms for the gain of the parent's assets.

He really wished that there was something that could speed up the process so that he didn't always have to be dealing with all of the tiresome requests. '_Knock Knock._' Kyoya stood from his chair to open his bedroom door. A maid bowed slightly outside his door.

"Yes?" he asked.

She looked up and held out the phone.

"You have a phone call, Kyoya-sama," she explained.

He thanked her and took a hold of the phone while closing the door in her face. He walked over to his desk and pressed the line 1 button.

"Hello?" he asked.

Mutterings were heard from the other line. Female voices to be exact.

"Ah, ohayou. Forgive me for calling you. This is Yoneko Oshiara. I'm Sakuya-sama's caretaker. Are you perchance, Ohtori Kyoya?" she asked.

Kyoya wondered why Sakuya's maid would be calling him, let alone know his house number.

"Yes I am Kyoya. How can I help you?" he asked while sounding pleasant.

Yoneko bickered slightly on the other side.

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady! Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you perchance, familiar with the Hitachiin twins?" she asked.

Kyoya arched an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Why of course. We go to the same school together. We also are members of the same club," he explained.

Yoneko forced a laugh.

"That's great. Well, what would you say about the boys. I mean, are they trouble makers?" asked Yoneko.

Kyoya knew what had to be done.

"Well, they sometimes pull harmless pranks on our club President, but they're pretty good kids," explained Kyoya.

She sighed in relief.

"I see. Well thank you for your time. But, there is a favor I'd like to ask. Could you possibly es-" started Yoneko.

The phone seemed to be wretched from her hand as the cries were easily heard.

"Stop! That's enough! I don't understand what's running through that mind of yours. This doesn't concern him, so he should just be kept out," cried out Sakuya.

A door slammed and running was easily audible.

"Come back here young lady! I'm just doing what's in the best interest for you," pleaded Yoneko.

The phone went dead and Kyoya placed the phone on the table. He sighed. It looked like Yoneko was trying to get him to escort Sakuya or something. Which was strange on why she wanted to know about Hikaru and Kaoru. Dismissing the thought, he went back to reading and responding to emails.

***  
I sat in my room and fumed silently. Grounded, she said. Why in the world would I get **grounded**?! I hadn't even done anything wrong. **She** was the one who invited the twins into the house in the **first place**. Nothing even look at me yesterday, and she thought something vulgar had almost taken place. I had locked the door to my room and placed my earphones and turned the volume up. I sat on my bed and rested my head on the wall. I took out my cellphone and reluctantly texted the only people I knew that could help me. Immediately after I sent the message, my cell rang.

"Hello?" I asked.

Of course I knew it was the twins that had called.

"Yo Sakuya. What's up?" asked one of the twins.

I was pretty sure that it was Hikaru. Kaoru would never call out like that.

"Hey Hikaru. So, what are you up to?" I asked.

Yoneko began to pound on my door. I gasped and turned up the radio.

"What's all the commotion over there?" he asked.

I heard Yoneko try to call out to me.

"I'll explain later. Look. I'm in a tough bind, and I wouldn't usually do something like this, but this calls for drastic measures. I need your help. I can't say too much, but I have a questions I'd like to ask. First though, could you come over? Around two or three pm if possible. After that I'll explain the rest," I explained.

The line was silent.

"Sure. But I've got a question for you. What happened yesterday with you and Kaoru anyway?" he asked.

I froze slightly. Great. Not another one. I sighed. This would probably sound weird coming from me.

"Well, not much. He was trying to sneak a peak at my gift bag and I stopped him. Then. . ." I stopped as I felt a warm sensation on my cheeks.

Hikaru stood silent trying to get the details.

"Then what?" he questioned.

I intook a deep breath.

"Well, then I tripped," I responded.

Hikaru began to laugh hysterically. I felt my ears warm in embarrassment.

"**That's** it? You **tripped?** It makes sense now. Ah. I needed that. Well, okay. See ya' in a few hours," said Hikaru.

I hung up the phone and turned down the music. I set down the cellphone on the night stand and walked over to the vanity. Yoneko had finally given up on trying to coax me out and had stomped down the stairs. In just a couple of hours, she'd be out of the house in no time. Shopping for groceries. She was the only one around right now as I gave the whole staff the day off to be with their families. I decided to call my stylist and makeup artist to give them a challenge worth their while.

***

Hunny was in the small dojo area where he was dressed in his karate suit and began throwing rythmic punches and kicks on the wooden pole with various pegs around them. Sweat dripped slightly from his forehead as he trained hard. It had been a while since he had trained this hard in karate. Yasuchika, or Chika as everyone called him, had left early to go over to Satoshi's house. The adrenaline surged inside him slightly as he took a good whack on the wooden pole. The screen door opened and in entered Mori. He looked over at Hunny and sat on the tatami quietly. When Hunny looked over, he smiled.

"Hi Takashi! What are you doing here?" he asked.

Mori waved.

"Just came to hang out. Tamaki told me that we're going to meet up at Haruhi's place at five," he explained.

Hunny placed his brow onto the white towel used it to brush off the sweat. He jogged over to Mori and sat down next to him.

"Okay! Do you think Haruhi will make us something good to eat if we go early?" he wondered out loud.

Mori just shrugged. Hunny smiled and thought about how much fun they were going to have at the festival with all the stands and games.

***

Just a few houses down and Haruhi would make it to the mansion that belonged to Sakuya. She wasn't sure what this was all about, but she'd soon find out. As she rounded the corner, she saw Sakuya's maid walking out of the mansion and making her way in the opposite direction Haruhi was taking. She shrugged and walked over to the gates and buzzed the intercom.

"Haruhi?" asked Sakuya from the intercom.

Haruhi nodded.

"Uhm, yeah. Hi Sakuya. What was it that you wanted help with?" she asked.

There was a short pause.

"Okay. Here's the thing. I'm kind of grounded right now and I needed your help escaping the house," she said bluntly.

Haruhi looked taken aback.

"You think I'm in expert in sneaking out or something?" asked Haruhi.

A laugh was heard from the intercom.

"No its not like that. But come in. I'll open the gates for you," said Sakuya.

As if on command, the gates opened and Haruhi walked up the steps leading to the main door. The sound of tromping down the stairs was heard and the door opened. Standing in front of her was a young woman with a bob cut streaked with blonde. Her eyes were a piercing hue of red. She was as pale as a vampire and she wore a knit sweater the color of the trees with a midnight black skirt over her black tights. She tilted her head slightly and grabbed a tuft of Haruhi's hair. With wide eyes, Haruhi wondered what the hell was going on.

"Uhm. Excuse me. Can I help you?" Haruhi asked.

The woman opened her mouth and showed off her perfectly white teeth. Haruhi shivered.

"Such **thick** hair. Do you by chance ever **blowdry** your hair?" she asked.

Haruhi felt her face warm.

"Uh, not really," she explained.

She tutted. Haruhi wondered who this strange woman was. The woman led her up to stairs which led to a huge array of doors. Haruhi's eyes widened.

"This way," instructed the vampire looking woman.

She led her into a room with a painted door. Inside, she found two other people working hard on making up a girl. Haruhi looked around the room which was painted a sky blue color of some sort. She wondered if this was Sakuya's room or her sister's room. (If she had any.)

"Uhm. Hi. Is Sakuya around?" questioned Haruhi.

The vampire lady walked over to the surrounded girl and took a brush while slowly running its teeth through the lovely looking hair. The make up artist glanced over at Haruhi and took a look at her skin.

"You've got lovely skin, just like Sakuya," he surveyed.

The man wore his hair spiky which was bleached blonde and wore all black clothing. He was slightly tan and had a thin mustache with bright hazel eyes.

"What is **with **these people?"

She cleared her throat once more.

"Speaking of Sakuya, where is she?" Haruhi asked.

The man who seemed like the make up artist smiled and he chuckled. The vampire woman looked to be the hairstylist. A woman with seemingly curly brown hair and bright green eyes smiled over excitedly. She walked over to Haruhi and shook her hand. The woman looked her up and down and frowned slightly.

"Not much of a fashionista, eh?" she asked.

Haruhi flushed and felt a vein pop up. She reminded her of a female version of Tamaki. The blonde haired make up artist reminded Haruhi of a mix of the twins and seductive Tamaki. As for the vampire lady, no doubt the Queen of night. [Kyoya] The adult like versions of the club if some were women glanced back at the young woman they had been working on for quite some time. Haruhi walked over cautiously as the young woman turned the seat to face the her. She had pitch black straight and silky long hair that reached her waist. The hair was placed loose with the top half being held with a small clip only holding it in a sort of small ponytail. Her exceedingly pale skin was flawless and she wore slight mascara giving her lashes an extra long look. Eyes were popping with pretty dark blue eyes. She wore a pale pink lipgloss on her lips and wore an extravagant looking kimono. It was a pale purple with cherry blossoms scattering around the print. The young woman aknowledged Haruhi with a slight nod and smiled. The smile beamed bright and slightly blinded her vision. Exactly who was this girl?

***

Kaoru sat in the back seat with the ever energetic Hikaru. Seemed like he had given up on the interrogation on trying to figure out what had happened yesterday. Kaoru was okay with that, but he wondered why they were going over to Sakuya's house after what he had almost done to her. He wondered if his accidental intentions towards Sakuya even mattered to her. The feeling that overcame him was a mix of relief and a bit of disappointment. Their friendship was thankfully not jeopordized. The car pulled up and the two walked up to the mansion. Hikaru took out his cell phone and called Sakuya. After a few rings, she answered.

"Hello?" asked the ever familiar female voice.

Hikaru grinned.

"We're here," he answered bluntly.

Sakuya sighed.

"Hey guys. Come on in. You know the way. Thankfully Yoneko isn't here. Well. I was grounded for no apparent reason and I need your help to get out. Will you help me out?" she asked.

Kaoru smiled and grasped the phone from Hikaru.

"Sure. We're experts," he boasted slightly.

The gates opened and the two walked in like they owned the place. Opening the front door cautiously, they walked in while closing the door softly behind them. Pure silence deafened the house. Seemed like the staff was out enjoying the weather. They walked up the stairs and into the pale colored door. Kaoru knocked a couple of times and walked in with Hikaru trailing behind. Inside, they found a few professional looking make over experts. Sitting on the chairs was a Japanese beauty with exotic looking eyes. Next to her was a young boy wearing a kimono with a flower pattern and a bow in his hair. He looked annoyed. The twins took a step back and felt as if they had stepped into another dimension.

"Where's Sakuya?" wondered Kaoru.

Hikaru took a closer look at the young boy and realized he was staring at Haruhi. A grin escaped his lips and he began to laugh. Haruhi glared at him with grave intensity.

"Jerk. I'm just trying to help out Sakuya," she explained.

The twins looked at her with furrowed eyebrows and looked around the room with no trace of Sakuya.

"Where **is** Sakuya **anyway**?" asked Kaoru.

Haruhi nodded in the direction next to her.

"You guys. She's right next to me," explained Haruhi.

The two looked at the Japanese beauty with silky black hair and she nodded softly. She looked up and smiled. Hikaru and Kaoru looked on with their jaws dropped.

"Sakuya?" they asked in unison.

***

My staff had done well. My looks were altered drastically with the help of Miyako the hairstylist, Aki the make up artist, and Hitomi the wardrobe consultant. I had fooled the smartest guy in class 1-A with the black wig. A few moments after he gave me that look like,"Who are you?" I knew I could fool anyone. Of course, I explained to him that I was trying to hide my identity to make a perfect escape out of here. As for Haruhi being in a kimono, my staff was inspired to give Haruhi a traditional wear to match off with my look. I glanced over at Haruhi with apology.

"I'm sorry Fujioka-kun. I didn't expect my staff to do something like this," I apoligized.

Haruhi sighed.

"Its okay. I understand," he answered.

I nodded and sat in my chair glancing ever so slightly out the window. My time was running out. As the thought crossed my mind, the twins arrived. I sighed in relief and decided to see the reaction of the guys. Of course they were speechless. I beamed my smile at them. (A little trick I learned from previous jobs.) I nodded.

"Hi," I said smiling.

The guys stepped back at the ultra bright smile. The guys blushed slightly.

"So, you need help sneaking out?" questioned Hikaru.

I nodded slightly. Miyako looked over at me with a devious grin.

"Sneaking out, you say? I remember doing something similar to get out of my house when **I **was grounded. Not with all the glamorous disguises, just a simple wig and some shades," she remarked.

Haruhi stood up and walked over to the window and looked over nonchalantly.

"Anyone out there?" asked Kaoru.

He shook her head.

"Nope. No one in sight," he answered.

Hikaru and Kaoru grinned and pulled me into their little circle of scheming.

***

Yoneko had arrived to the market and began picking and choosing the types of food she would take to make a small dinner for herself and Sakuya. She felt a bit guilty for punishing her for no apparent reason. It wasn't that she didn't trust her, it was just that she was concerned. Sakuya's father had called and had forbidden her from leaving the house on New Year's Eve. Yoneko had pleaded Mazaki-san to let his daughter go out, but he disagreed. That morning while she was calling Kyoya, Yoneko was going against her bosses' word to let Sakuya have some independence and fun. She sighed and picked a few vegetables and placed them in her basket. Sakuya wasn't much of a crybaby, but Yoneko silently wondered if she was actually feeling sore. Various teenagers and adults walked around the market making small conversation on their plans for the day. A young girl with short brown hair and silvery looking eyes was giggling and chatting with her group of friends.

"Yeah! Let's head out to that new karaoke place. I hear they have the **latest** songs," explained the girl's friends.

She agreed and they walked over to the junk food isle to get their snacks. Twinges of pain stabbed Yoneko slightly. Guilt was written all over her face. She walked over to the counter to pay and later walked slowly to the mansion.

***

Green shrubs located near Sakuya's window hid the twins from the outside. Haruhi stood next to them in wonder.

"Why are we hiding in here?" asked Haruhi.

The two crouched twins shushed her.

"Yoneko will be here any minute and we have to stay hidden so she doesn't see us. Then our plan will be in motion," informed Hikaru.

Haruhi rolled her eyes and stood there while still wearing the kimono given to her for the festival, which she wasn't even sure she'd go to. The automatic sound of the gates opened and the plan was in then in play.

"Get ready," whispered Kaoru into the cellphone.

***

I locked the door to my room and placed a dummy under the covers. Very childish and I'd probably not get away with it. Oh well. I'd suffer the punishement after having my fun. After walking over to my window while tying the rope to the bed post ,I threw the other end out the window. I took a deep breath and took a hold of the rope and jumped. Slowly, I made my way down the landscape as if I were rock climbing down a mountain. It was kind of tough, seeing as my kimono limited much movement in my legs. Ten minutes into climbing, I checked how much I needed to go. Only a few feet down and I'd be safe. I sighed and placed my foot on the wall. I looked down slightly and saw the guys waiting patiently. Green lawn spread out in front of me and I felt slightly faint. My grasp loosened and as if on slow motion, I began to fall. I shut my eyes and clamped my mouth shut with my hand. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it. Gasps echoed down below. The sound of running deafened my ears and then, like a safe descent, I opened my eyes to find myself in the arms of Hikaru. He was plopped on the floor with me facing towards him. Tears felt ready to burst from my eyes like a faucet. I...was never going to do that again. Way too scary. I shivered violently and held in a sob.

"Take a deep breath. That's it. Stay calm. Don't cry. You're too proud to cry. Especially in front of these guys," I told myself mentally.

I held on tightly to Hikaru's sleeves and pressed my face close to his chest.

"You okay Sakuya?" asked Haruhi with concern.

I dared not to look at him but nodded slightly with my face still buried in Hikaru's chest. Hikaru slowly put his arms around me and patted my head. I heard him chuckle slightly. My eyebrows furrowed and I looked up at him glaring slightly.

"What's so funny?" I questioned with slight irritation.

He smiled.

"So, you're afraid of heights eh?" he questioned as he tightened his grip on me.

I pushed him away and stood up. My face was contoured in a frown. I crossed my arms.

"Of course I'm not," I denied.

He stood up still grinning. He walked away smugly.

"Ri~ght," he said.

I jogged over to him in attempt to stop him.

"It's true!" I cried out.

I gasped and covered my mouth as I saw Yoneko glance outside from one of the windows. I crouched slightly. I looked back to see Haruhi and Kaoru trudging over to us. Kaoru looked over with a half smile. I looked down at my hands and gasped. I had forgotten my bag. I rushed over where the bushes were and pulled out the bag. I sighed and walked over back to the three friends.

"What was that about?" questioned Kaoru.

I looked away slightly.

"Just forgot to grab my bag. I have my stuff there," I explained.

He shrugged and we walked through the front cautiously. Hikaru took out his cell phone and called a cab to pick us up. (Although they traveled here by their car, they sent their driver away to keep things looking less suspicous.) Casually, everyone waited quietly for the cab to arrive.

***

Kaoru looked over at Sakuya with a slight pain coursing through his heart. He watched as his brother and Sakuya seemed to be flirting or getting along. He should have been happy that everyone was getting along, but for some reason, this pained him. He shook off the thought and grinned as he saw her smile slightly over at him.

"Thanks for helping me out of this tough situation," she thanked him sincerely.

He nodded and the cab arrived. the four of them walked in and drove off towards Haruhi's house. The ride over was slightly akward with silence. Kaoru looked out the window and looked back at his friends.

"Nice weather we're having, huh?" he questioned.

They all nodded.

"So, how are New Year's Festivals like?" she asked.

Haruhi looked at her with wide eyes.

"You mean to tell me you've never been to a New Year's Festival before?" questioned Haruhi in disbelief.

She shook her head slightly.

"Like I said before. My dad was super strict with me at a young age, so I was never able to go out much," she explained.

Kaoru looked over at Hikaru. The two looked out the window thinking of their own parents. They were free to do what they wanted only because their parents were never around. Sure they had their fun, but their mother couldn't even tell them apart. Tension had risen in the air and was heavily felt by everyone in the cab. The car stopped and the others gladly took their time walking out. As the four made their way towards Haruhi's apartment, two very familiar characters were able to be seen waiting in front of the door. As they grew closer, the name dawned on the small group. It was Hunny and Mori.

***

The two greeted us and Hunny looked over with bright eyes. He ran over with bright eyes.

"Sa-chan!" he cried out.

I was taken aback.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked.

He smiled knowingly.

"It was easy, silly. ^-^ You smell like Sa-chan," he noted.

Well, **that **was specific. Well, he **was** Hunny. So, I guess it was natural. I sighed and bowed slightly.

"Good afternoon, Mori-senpai," I said quietly.

He looked down smiling slightly and bowed back.

"Good afternoon," he answered back.

Hunny walked over to Haruhi smiling.

"Where were you? We've been waiting for ten minutes," he asked.

Haruhi explained that he had an errand to run and had to pick me up. Hikaru looked around to see others sticking their head to see what was going on outside.

"Are we going to be outside here all day or are we going in?" asked Hikaru.

We laughed slightly and Haruhi opened the door to let us in. I looked around in awe. The place was so... small. I kept my comments to myself just in case. We placed our shoes on the ground and I glanced to see a kitchen near the door with a Japanese style like kotetsu as a table. There was a small closet near the screen door that was mostly likely the room that he shared with his family. He glanced over at me blushing slightly.

"Sorry about this. My place is pretty small compared to your room," he explained.

I smiled slightly.

"It's alright. Size doesn't matter. It's really nice," I said quietly.

It was very organized and clean. But where was his family? No brothers, sisters or parents in sight. I glanced over at Haruhi and the twins as they were talking amongst themselves about what the plans were and where to go first. Hunny and Mori were participating in the conversation as well. But mostly Hunny was talking about the food that was moistening his saliva at the thought of all the treats. Hunny's stomach began to gurgle. We all looked over at him. He laughed slightly.

"Ahahaha. I'm kind of hungry," he informed.

Haruhi looked over in obliviousness.

"If you're hungry, why not eat? I know a great sushi place just around the corner," Haruhi informed.

Hunny tilted his head slightly and smiled.

"Uhm, I kind of want to taste Haru's cooking," he said cutely.

A trap to lure food from Haruhi, eh? He stood slightly and walked to the kitchen.

"Sure I guess," he said finally.

The twins looked over at Hunny with wide eyes as if wondering how he could ask such a thing. I shrugged, but then stood when I realized that he was still wearing the kimono. Kaoru looked over as if realizing the same thing.

"Wait a sec, Haruhi. You don't really plan on cooking with the kimono, do you?" he questioned.

Haruhi looked down at the kimono and set down the utensils.

"Oh, right. Sorry Hunny. Could you take a rain check on that?" Haruhi asked.

Hunny looked down crestfallen slightly, but nodded. Mori stood up and walked over to the kitchen. He looked down at Haruhi.

"Would you mind if I used your kitchen?" he questioned.

Haruhi looked at him with skepticism, but nodded slowly. Mori donned on an apron and began to sort through food. Hunny looked over in surprise and went to his side.

"Takashi, what are you doing?" asked Hunny in wonder.

Mori glanced sideways.

"Making lunch," he informed.

I glanced over at the twins who seemed to be trying to hold their emotions in. Their faces were red and they were lightly slamming a fist at the table looking ready to laugh so hard tears would shed.

"M-my, h-h-how sw-sw*snerk* sweet," snickered Hikaru.

Kaoru held on to his stomach and bent forward. (He looked like he was bowing dogeza to the ground.) I crossed my arms and walked over to the twins. I lightly tapped their heads with my knuckles. I glared at them slightly.

"Don't be mean. He's trying to be nice," I scolded.

The two looked at me and went back to laughing. Suddenly, an even darker presence loomed behind me. I turned slowly to see Hunny glaring menacingly and his usual flowery aura was replaced with waves of dark matter. The twins shut up immediately. I shivered slightly and stepped aside.

"Shut up you little brats. If you think something like this is funny, why don't **you** two try making something **edible** for a change," menaced Hunny.

They turned away and were on their way out the door, when Hunny magically appeared at the front door with the still evil grin on his face.

"Oh no you don't. You're not getting out of this **that** easily," he said with an evil grin.

Their faces were contoured in horror. It had seemed that they had found their match within the hidden evil Hunny. I didn't know whether to feel sympathy or crack up laughing at this turn of events.

***

Kyoya arrived at Tamaki's house around 4:30 pm. He was still thinking about the call he had received from Yoneko-san. He walked into Suoh Mansion #2 to see Shima scolding Tamaki for trying to get out of lessons. Tamaki pouted and looked at her with puppy eyes.

"Won't you please let me out a few minutes earlier, Shima-san?" asked Tamaki.

Shima turned away and shook her head.

"Your puppy eyes have no **effect** on me, Tamaki," she informed.

Tears bubbled from his eyes as she pulled him into the small study room where she taught him proper etiquette. In the process, Tamaki spotted Kyoya and called for help.

"Kyoya! Save me from eternal boredom, please!" cried out Tamaki.

Kyoya looked over in a straight face, but chuckled slightly. He waved.

"Good afternoon Shima-san. Hi there Tamaki. What are you two up to?" he asked.

Shima turned to look and bowed slightly with a hold of Tamaki's collar still in one hand. Tamaki tried to get away, but like a leash, he was pulled back. For an old woman, she sure was strong.

"Hello, Kyoya-san. I was just about to take Tamaki to his study room. He need to freshen up on his manners," she explained.

Tears of hysterics dribbled down Tamaki's cheeks as he felt his life was on the line. Of course, he was exaggerating.

"Please! Have mercy on me!!!" cried out Tamaki in finality.

Kyoya sighed and smiled pleasantly.

"Forgive me for interrupting your class, but Tamaki is needed for a club meeting," began Kyoya. He looked down at his watch. His eyes glinted slightly. "Besides, the festival is almost up and running. the rest of the club is waiting for you at Haruhi's house," he finished.

She released her grip Tamaki and handed him the kimono which was set on the table. A small grin was planted on her slightly wrinkly face.

"Have fun Tamaki," Shima encouraged.

Tamaki ran full speed and hugged Kyoya.

"Thank you so much! But that was mean! You were planning on leaving me behind, weren't you?" accused Tamaki.

Kyoya just shook his head. Tamaki ran up the stairs to get into the kimono.

"Ah. How ambivalent," stated Kyoya.

***

Water bubbled and boiled as random pieces of food were thrown in like a cauldron filled with ingredients for a deadly potion. I looked over panicked as Hunny had gone back to being a happy looking 3rd year and Haruhi looked like he was going to pass out. Precious food ingredients were being **wasted** in ways that others would call dangerous. The twins had definitely never learned to cook. Cautiously, I leaned forward towards Haruhi's ear.

"Is there a fire extinguisher anywhere around here?" I whispered with worry.

Haruhi nodded slightly and pointed near the door. I quickly went for the live saver and placed in next to the kitchen. Maybe it was time to get them to stop. Yes. That would be the best solution. Walking over to the two, I took a hold of their aprons and tugged it away. The stoves were harder to get near to, but I managed to turn them off without harming myself. I shuffled away from the stove. I scanned the kitchen and easily found the food Mori had so graciously made for Hunny. It seemed edible and decided that this was what was going to be taken as a snack. I set down the plate in front of Hunny, Mori and Haruhi.

"Why'd you do that for?" questioned Hikaru.

I crossed my arms slightly in disbelief.

"You two were about to set **fire** to the place, with your... incredible **culinary skills**," I explained.

I took the food that was ruined by the twins and dumped them in the trash can. It was painful to do and see the look on Haruhi's face, but it had to be done. The food was no longer in any way edible or able to be used without someone getting sick. Taking inventory, I figured about half of the food in the fridge had been used. I was just about to use my cellphone, when I realized that if I dared to use it, Yoneko could easily track me down. I hadn't realized this before, but I was slowly getting accustomed to the life of a rich kid and its benefits were beginning to become frequently noticible. I placed the phone at the bottom of my bag and put it on silent. I sat down in between the twins and we slowly ate the only food available at the moment. My taste buds sang with happiness as I took a bite from the strange, yet delicious snack that Mori had made.

"It's yummy huh?" surveyed Hunny.

He was smiling happily like an adorable child. There was no choice but to agree. The twins sulked slightly, but I was pretty sure that was an act. The doorbell rang and Haruhi stood to answer the door.

"Who could that be?" wondered Haruhi as he made his way to the door.

The door opened and outside, I saw Kyoya and Tamaki. Tamaki was adorned in a dark blue kimono with stripes aligned vertically. Tamaki looked at Haruhi with sparkling eyes and was grinning like his usual chipper self.

***

The ride over was quick and easy as the best friends were at the front of the apartment number belonging to Haruhi. Tamaki knocked a few times and in a matter of seconds, Haruhi answered the door wearing a traditional male kimono and looked at him with quesitioning eyes.

"Oh, hey there guys. You're right on time," she explained.

The two walked into the tiny apartment like usual and walked over to the kotetsu. Kyoya stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a raven haired beauty sitting elegantly on a pillow. Her skin was pale and soft looking. He tried registering in his mind who she could possibly be, but his mind was blank. Her pink lips moved as she spoke to the twins as if not aknowledging the fact that visitors had arrived. She looked over at Kyoya and bowed slightly. Tamaki blushed with utter surprise. He took a hold of her smooth looking hand and kissed it. His eyes gleamed with his princely character overtaking him.

"Oh my. Who could this lovely creature be? A goddess? Perhaps the princess of the moon?" he asked in a seductive tone.

She removed her hand nervously and bowed back slightly.

"I didn't realize you had visitors," surveyed Kyoya cooly.

The twins' eyes gleamed and noted that they had been tricked. The young woman beamed her smile brightly at Tamaki and Kyoya.

"It is a pleasure meeting you two, Ohtori-san and Suoh-san. Your friends have told me so much about you," she said pleasantly.

They backed up slightly at the blinding smile. Kyoya felt his face warm slightly at the unpredictable.

"A beauty such as yourself must have been sent down by the Gods. Angel, please forsake us with the pleasure of knowing your name," babbled Tamaki.

Her shoulders shook slightly as she giggled inaudibly.

"What a lady's man. My name is Mizuki," she said with sparkling eyes.

The twins looked at eachother and walked over down the hall and burst into fits of hysterics. This was priceless. Kyoya Ohtori was fooled so easily by the acting skills involved on Sakuya's part. She would make a perfect jokester with the their guidance.

"Mizuki, like the beautiful moon. The princess for the night skies," continued Tamaki.

Kyoya sighed.

"So, I suppose Sakuya was unable to make it?" he questioned.

Hunny smiled wide and Haruhi looked down. She never was a good had his usual stoic look. It seemed that the trick had gone on for far too long. The twins walked out and placed an arm around "Mizuki" and grinned.

"Looks like its time to tell them the truth," said Kaoru with a saddened voice.

Hikaru sighed and nodded.

"So boring. Well okay then. M'lord, Kyoya? Its time to confess. The true identity of the girl you see before you is actually Sakuya," he informed.

Tamaki glanced in surprise, but smiled and hugged Sakuya close to him. She gasped at the sudden hug.

"Truely you are a woman of many talents. You really had me believing that you were Mizuki!" he cried out slightly.

Kyoya frowned. How could he have been **fooled** so easily? Sakuya really had his usually logical mind feel like mush. She was so unpredictable! It infuriated him **so** much. Now that the small ordeal was taken care of, everyone noticed that the clock had struck five. It was time to get going to the festival.

***

6 out of 7 had actually fallen for the trick. Well, technically I wasn't too sure about Mori. But besides the point. I was glad that I had donned on the disguise. This would surely throw off any trail of me if Yoneko were to come looking for me. Of course, I'd probably never hear the end of this when I got home. The eight of us left the small apartment and saw the light beginning to fade. It wasn't a scary darkness, just the sign that the end of the year was near. The time where things were sure to change. We arrived at the festival where various people were laughing and playing games at booths.

Most of the club looked around in awe. So, it was their first festival too. Tamaki's eyes sparkled as he ran into the direction where steamed buns were being sold. The twins walked over to the win-a-prize booth and looked at it skeptically. Hunny and Mori had gone off towards the takoyaki stand. The only three remaining were Kyoya, Haruhi and of course myself. Everything looked so strange for me. Kind of reminded me of the summer fair. I decided that if we were going to split up, the best thing to do would be to give the others their presents at this time. I scanned the crowed area and decided to take a look at the shrine. I looked over at Haruhi with a faint smile.

"Fujioka-kun, could you possibly accompany me over to the shrine?" I asked politely.

He gazed over at the shrine and nodded.

"Sure. Do you have a prayer in mind?" he asked.

I nodded slightly. My heart became heavy. There really was something I wanted to ask for. As he lead me over, flashbacks passed through my vision. A kind smile looking down at me and always having a hand in mine. The one that brought me into the modeling business. The one the that cared for me with nothing expected from me but my happiness. I tightened my grip on the bag and headed to the steps leading to the shrine. I stood in front of it and grabbed one of the wooden board shaped like a triangle at the top and squared at the bottom. A string was attached to place it on the wall containing thousands of wishes and hopes of people ranging from young children to elderly grandparents. I took a brush and dipped it into the ink and closed my eyes. I let my feelings flow into the wooden board and wrote what I wished for. I waited about five minutes to have the paint dry and set it on the hanger. I clapped a few times and clasped my hands together while closing my eyes. I bowed slightly and walked away towards Haruhi. He looked at me with quiet curiosity and a look of sympathy. We walked down the shrine and heard the sound of teenagers walking around with friends laughing over a joke. The sound of children giggling and crying from the crowded area echoed. I rustled through the bag and decided this was the best time to give out the gifts.

"Uhm, Fujioka-kun?" I asked.

He stopped walking and looked over at me. He waited patiently as a couple of kids passed by without a single apology.

"What is it Sakuya?" he asked.

I looked down at the bag and pulled out a wrapped gift and handed it to Haruhi. I looked up and saw him look at me curiously.

"It's a gift. I wanted to thank you for the Christmas gift I received at the party. Go ahead open it," I encouraged.

He blushed slightly and opened it. He smiled.

"Thank you. Although, it wasn't necissary for you to go through all the trouble to get me something," Haruhi commented.

I smiled and shook my head.

"I did this because of all the kindness you have shown me," I began.

I looked down feeling slightly embarrassed. I looked back up.

"I was wondering, would it be alright if I could call you Haruhi?" I asked.

Haruhi looked slightly surprised, but smiled and nodded.

"Of course. We're friends, right?" he answered back.

I nodded and smiled happily. We arrived back at the meeting point. Hunny had a numerous amount of food in hands and he seemed to be enjoying the sweets he had bought from stands. Mori carried around a stuffed animal he must have won from the games. The twins were carrying around consolation prizes with their arms crossed and wearing a frown on their face. Tamaki came back with assorments of food, prizes and a bag filled with treats. As for Kyoya, he was lounging around on a bench with a bored expression and was in the midst of reaching out to grab his cell phone from his pocket. I sighed.

***

Haruhi glanced over at Sakuya who, at the moment was smiling and talking to Hunny if he was enjoying himself. He nodded back vigorously with a cute smile. For some reason, Haruhi felt as if Sakuya was faking her smile. When the girls were up at the shrine, Haruhi noticed a pained look on Sakuya's face. Haruhi wondered if she was thinking of past memories that were painful to her. She shook her head and sighed. Maybe she was reading into things too much. The twins looked over at Haruhi grinning.

"What's on your mind?" the twins asked in unison.

She shrugged slightly and shook her head.

"Nothing. So, how was your luck with the game stands?" she questioned.

The two glared slightly and showed off the cherry flavored lollipops.

"I swear those stands are rigged," complained Hikaru.

Sakuya walked over and looked at the lollipops. She stared intensely at it and kept a straight face. It only lasted a moment and then she turned away. She took a deep breath and then burst out a fit of giggles. The twins grinned and walked to face her, but she twisted out of their sight. She calmed down and brushed away a stray tear from her eyes. Her cheeks were a rosy color and she really looked happy.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the guy's name was Sleaze'," joked Kaoru.

There was silence. Yeah...not that funny. Kyoya looked over in curiousity. Seemed that Sakuya really loosened up around the twins. He shrugged and turned back his attention to his cellphone.

***

Hunny grabbed a hold of my arm and began pulling me over towards the food stands.

"I just saw some yummy cake over there. Come with me Saa-chan," he said cutely.

I had to smile. I nodded and the two of us made our way to the cake stand. Strawberry, chocolate, lemon, coffee and much more varieties of cake was set up in a small refrigerated glass. Hunny chose out a strawberry cake which was placed in a white box decorated with frills. He looked over at me with happy eyes. I smiled back.

"Uhm, Hunny-senpai? I have something that I'd like to give you," I said while pulling out a stuffed animal from my bag.

It was a golden retriever puppy with a small bow around its neck. Hunny looked over at him with bright eyes. He smiled brightly and gave me a tight hug.

"Thank you so much Saa-chan! Kawaii," he cried out.

He hugged the puppy tightly and ran over to Mori to show it off. I bought a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and walked over to Mori. He smiled slightly back at me. I took out a similar looking puppy only it was a black lab with a bandanna on its neck. He smiled and patted my head slightly.

"Thank you Sakuya," he said.

I blushed slightly. That was the first time he ever said my name. Let alone talk to me. I smiled and waved as I went in search of the final four. Easily enough, I had found Tamaki talking sweetly to the elderly woman and guiding her to find her grandson. I slowed my pace and watched as he easily found a young man with a look of relief when he saw his grandmother. He bowed and thanked Tamaki, while he modestly said it was no big deal. I smiled slightly. He really was a nice guy. Just a bit too clingly. I walked over to him after he bowed and left them.

"Uhm, hi Tamaki-senpai. Are you enjoying the festival?" I questioned.

He smiled and grabbed my hand. He nodded as he led me over to...who knows where.

"What about you?" he asked.

I thought for a moment but nodded slowly.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" I questioned.

He looked down at me with a serious face.

"Well, you seem to be distracted, am I right?" he asked.

I took a step back. I sighed.

"I guess I am. Its just that I was really looking forward to the place, but I still have this nagging feeling that I shouldn't have sneaked out to have fun while Yoneko spends the New Yar all by herself," I explained.

He seemed to buy the story and we walked in silence. The moment broke right after his eyes got bright and he smiled. He pulled me over to a ring toss game while skipping hyperly. (If hyperly is even a word.)

"Come on! Let's play the commoner game. I've heard about these on tv, but never actually **tried** it before," he explained.

I sighed and complied. I handed a couple yen coins to the owner and grabbed the rings. I handed a few to Tamaki and took some for myself. I concentrated and flicked my wrist slightly. The ring sailed and landed directly in the cone. My eyes widened.

"Wow. I can't believe I actually made it in," I said in disbelief.

Tamaki looked over in awe and tried for himself. With a flick of his wrist, the ring wobbled and landed on the ground. His eyes widened and he continued throwing rings until he had run out. None of them were even close to falling into the cone. He went to sulk in a corner. I walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright. These things are rigged anyway. I'm sure getting a ring in was just a fluke. Here let me prove it," I said while dragging him back to the stand.

I flicked my wrist once and watched as the ring landed perfectly into the cone. My eyes widened. I tried more times, until each one had landed into the cone. The man handed me a stuffed bear about three feet tall. Tamaki went back into his corner. I sighed and walked over to him. I kneeled slightly next to him and patted his shoulder.

"I have something for you," I said.

He looked up with his puppy eyes filled with excitement.

"What is it?" he asked like a small child.

I smiled and took out the dvd set of a drama. He took it and his eyes shined. He hugged me with great force. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

"You're the best!" he cried out.

Ahaha. Yet again I was trapped in the arms of Tamaki.

***

The twins lounged around at a table eating takoyaki and drinking tea. Hunny was happily hugging a puppy in his arms smiling and constantly saying how 'Saa-chan' was such a sweet girl. Mori nodded while looking at his black lab. Haruhi was looking through the cook book that she had received from Sakuya. The twins pouted slightly. Seemed that they were the only ones without a gift. Well, they weren't sure about Kyoya or Tamaki, but still. Their eyes trailed over to see Sakuya push Tamaki away and mouthing that she needed to use the restroom. He nodded in understanding and skipped on over to the table which the guys were sitting at. He showed off his dvd set for a drama and boasted about how Sakuya thought he was special.

"Ah yes. She loves her daddy so," he said dreamily.

Haruhi rolled her eyes along with the twins.

"Actually, Saa-chan gave Takashi, Haru, and me a gift too," explained Hunny.

Tamaki went into a corner.

"Hey, where'd Sakuya go?" questioned Kaoru.

Tamaki looked over still on the ground sullenly.

"She went to the restroom," he explained.

Everyone continued to eat their food. Kyoya sat in his chair watching his friends talk about the anticipation regarding the fireworks. Kyoya's cellphone began to vibrate. He stood from his seat and walked towards the bathrooms. He rested his back to the wall and pressed the 'OK' button.

"Hello?" he asked.

***

Yoneko knocked on Sakuya's door with a tray of food in hand. There was no answer.

"Sakuya-sama? Are you in there?" questioned Yoneko.

There was not a single noise coming from inside the room. Yoneko envisioned Sakuya slashing her wrists over the depression of not being able to go. (Of course that is seemingly impossible as Sakuya isn't the type of person to hurt herself) She knocked furiously.

"Sakuya! Open the door **this **instant!" she cried out.

Panic was written all over her face as the worst case scenarios ran through her head. Yoneko burst into the room with the adrenaline surging through her and broke the lock. The sound of chirping crickets hummed quietly outside. The lights were off and a figure was covered with a blanket. She sighed in relief and checked the bathroom just in case. No one there. She smiled and left the tray on the desk.

"She's sleeping," surveyed Yoneko.

Quietly, she closed the door and walked down the stairs.

***

Kyoya sighed as he got off the phone with his father. It seemed there were plans for clients visiting the Ohtori mansion a week from now and was advised to be prepared as well as making sure he didn't embarrass the Ohtori name.

"Hey there cutie. Are you here by yourself?" asked a masculine voice.

Kyoya peaked from the wall to see two young men blocking a raven haired girl from passing. Kyoya scanned the kimono and confirmed that it was Sakuya.

"Could you please let me pass?" she asked calmly.

The young men leaned close to her.

"Why, don't you come with us?" another asked.

She leaned back slightly in terror.

"Actually, I'm here with someone," she countered.

They took a hold of her hands and began to pull her away from the crowded area.

"Ditch em'. You'll probably have a lot more fun with us than with him anytime," one commented with a suggestive undertone.

She tried to pull away from their grasps. With fear written on her face.

"Let me go! I'll scream if you try anything," she demanded.

The two looked at eachother and cackled.

"Oh, looks like we've caught ourselves a feisty one," mocked one.

The other agreed. She took a deep breath and was in the midst of screaming, when one covered her mouth with his hand.

"No, we'll have none of that. Besides, I don't see anyone ready to come to your rescue," mocked the other.

Her eyes widened. They chuckled. Kyoya came out from hiding and grasped the shoulder of one of the young men. The two turned and froze. Kyoya's face was twisted in an evil grin.

"What was that you were saying about someone not coming to her rescue? It seems that **you** two have underestimated the fact that she has a boyfriend that has the power to call up an army if you as so **think **of harming her. So, I **suggest** that you **unhand** her and be on your way or should I just notify the **police** about this...**little incident**," Kyoya threatened.

The two young men quickly took their hands off her and ran off. Sakuya looked up at Kyoya shivering slightly. He placed a hand on the small of her back and slowly guided her back to the table.

***

He had saved me. The two of us were walking back to the table and I still felt a little shaken. My heart had slowed considerably after that scare. God. Who knows what would have happened if he wasn't there. I glanced slightly at him as he kept on a neutral look on his face. Well, looked like the best time to give it to him. I stopped walking. He looked at me in confusion.

"Why are we stopping?" he questioned.

I took out a small usb drive and handed it to him. His eyes widened comically.

"A present. In return for the gift I received during Christmas," I explained.

He looked at me in surprise.

"Where did you get this? These aren't supposed to come out at least for another year," he questioned.

"My father's friend gave out a couple of these for promotional reasons and I so happened to have it. I hear these are so advanced that they help you sort out emails and responses or something. I figured you would like it since you're always working on your laptop or something relating to hi-tech," I explained.

He nodded slowly. He seemed to be in a daze as we made our way back to the table. Kaoru looked over suspiciously.

"Why are you two together?" he questioned.

Better not talk about the incident or risk the chance of the guys going crazy.

"I bumped into him on my way here," I explained.

Again, not a complete lie. It was now 9:59 and it looked like energy was practically sapped out of everyone's body. 10 pm. Only two hours to go.

"This place is getting boring. Why don't we go to a karaoke place nearby and come back here later?" suggested Hikaru.

Everyone agreed and walked out of the festival. A karaoke place that opened recently was open and we walked in. Tamaki paid for a sound proof room and we all entered. Tamaki actually looked really excited.

"Alright! We shall have a match to see who has the best voice!" cried out Tamaki.

The twins were on that match with mischevious eyes. Tamaki walked up to the stage and picked his song with the mike in hand. He took a deep breath and the music started.

***

Kyoya felt his heart beat and his cheeks redden. He had been silent the whole way here and the small gift he had received actually made him almost smile. The tool he needed for all those unwanted love letters in the Host Club fansite inbox to be cleared out faster. Yes, this was the girl who infuriated him because she had the guts to stand up to him and not only that, she seemed like she had multiple personalities. There were so many emotions that ran through that face. The pale face with the heavenly smile that was unseen until today. The girl who seemed to be attributing the traits of a trouble maker. Or could all of those be cover ups for the actual Sakuya? He shook his head. Maybe he was reading into things way too much.

***

The song ended and everyone clapped. Tamaki really **did** have a nice voice. It was just weird since he picked out such an **old** song. He bowed and sat down. Up next was Hunny. This went on for quite a while with almost everyone participating. Kyoya, Haruhi and Mori had refrained though. I still hadn't gone up stage, but decided to get a drink. As I went to grab the tea, a pair of hands came from behind. I squealed as the pair of hands had found my weak spot. I spun around to see the twins grinning towards me. I crossed my arms slightly.

"Exactly what was **that **about?" I asked.

They just shrugged.

"We were bored," they reported.

I shook my head slightly. The two waited patiently for me.

"Can I help you or something?" I questioned.

They looked back at the room where Haruhi, Mori, Kyoya, Hunny, Mori and Tamaki were residing. My eyes widened. Of course! I had completely forgotten to get these guys **gifts**. I'm such an idiot! I sighed.

"I'm sorry. I completely forgot! I wasn't sure what you two would like from me," I explained.

They played mock hurt.

"My, Sakuya is **so** cruel. After all we've done for her," said Hikaru dramatically.

Kaoru clutched my hands with a teary looking face,

"Please Sakuya, won't you give us a **gift** worth both the **apology **and Christmas?" asked Kaoru.

I sighed and slipped my hands out of his grasp.

"Well, what is it that you desire the most from me?" I asked.

The two grinned and leaned in close to me.

"We want a kiss," they said in unison.

A kiss? My cheeks reddened slightly. I turned away to think about it and sighed.

"Okay. Close your eyes," I commanded.

The two looked surprised as if thinking that I would have never agreed to do such a thing. They closed their eyes tightly. I rummaged through the bag and luckily found what I was looking for. I took both hands from the twins and placed the gift in their hands.

"Open them," I said.

They complied and looked down at their hand. A chocolate kiss was in each hand. The two did a pratfall. I giggled slightly. I kneeled to their level and planted a quick peck on their cheeks.

"Just kidding," I said.

I walked off back to the room while looking back slightly only to see both the twins in both shock and blushing. I smiled. Just the emotion I wanted to get out of them. I walked in with the twins following not far behind. Tamaki looked over cheerfully.

"Ah! You're back Sakuya. You're up," he said smiling.

I nodded and took the microphone in hand. I took a deep breath and smiled. I skimmed the songs and I found the perfect song.

***

The room was silent as Sakuya began singing. She had a serene look on her face as she followed the tune on beat. Her voice rang through the room. Hunny looked over with a smiling face as he enjoyed the pretty voice. Haruhi looked over rather impressed. The twins sat silently along with Mori and Kyoya. Sakuya actually had a real nice singing voice. The song ended and Tamaki ran over to Sakuya hugging her tightly.

"That was wonderful Sakuya!" he cried out.

The twins stood and pulled her away from him. They stuck out their tongues at him and hugged her.

"Get your own toy. She's ours," they said in unison.

Tamaki charged after them as they ran away after letting go of Sakuya. Haruhi stood to stop them.

"Guys calm down. Do you want us to get kicked out of here?" she asked.

Hunny cheered on Tamaki with Mori nodding. Kyoya just shook his head. Sakuya looked around at the mess and giggled.

***

I looked at the clock hanging from the wall in the sound proof room. 11:45pm.

"Uhm, everyone? Why don't we head back? The fireworks are going to start any minute. Not to mention the countdown," I explained.

Everyone agreed and we walked back to the festival. Haruhi took us to a spot with the best view and we waited. All of us sat on the ground looking up at the sky. (Besides Kyoya) The stars were brightly shining and were very beautiful.

"Today's festival was fun," commented Hunny.

I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said back.

The twins nodded and had me sit in between them. Haruhi yawned softly. Tamaki looked up excitedly and constanly said the time.

"It's 11:50!" he cried out.

Five seconds later, he said the time.

"Its 11:50:10 seconds," he said.

We groaned. Kaoru looked down at me smiling.

"If you ever need our help again, just ask. That was the first time I've had so much fun in a while,"he commented.

Hikaru agreed.

"Let's do it again sometime," he teased.

I shook my head.

"Sorry, but this will probably be the last time I **ever** do something like that," I explained.

The two laughed.

"Who knows. Maybe it won't," the two said in unison.

Hunny sighed and rested his head on my lap.

"I'm so sleepy," he said as he closed his eyes.

I shook him slightly.

"Don't fall asleep just yet. The fireworks are about to start," I said.

He smiled and nodded. Tamaki walked over to Haruhi smiling and asking if he had a good time.

"Surprisingly, I did," he said.

Tamaki grew happy and was jumping around like he had drunk a whole case of Red Bull. Kyoya glanced at his watch.

"Looks like the countdown is about to start," he commented.

The lights were dimmed and the festival goers chanted the numbers. Children giggled and others held onto their mother or father's hand in the dark. Elderly couples remininced about their first New Year coundown. Young couples sat together holding hands and waiting for the 12:00 mark to give out kisses. Hikaru, Kaoru, Hunny, and Tamaki were counting down along with the other crowds. Ten seconds remaining. I mouthed the numbers as it reached five.

"Four, three, two, one, Happy New Year!" cheered the crowd.

I glanced at my friends who were happily talking to one another and were actually enjoying one themselvs without having to put up an act for the guests. Hunny yawned once more and placed his head on my lap once more and closed his eyes with the puppy in his arm. His rythmic breathing signified that he had fallen asleep. I smiled and began to pet his head. Looking around, I realized that this was one of the best days in my life.


	10. Falling Apart

_**Pieces of My Heart**_

**_Hi again from Yukihime211. Sorry once more! Anyway, Kuragano is going to sound a bit ooc for the good of the story,so thank you for bearing with me. Also thank you for your kind reviews. Hope you enjoy! _****_Disclaimer:Do not own any of Ouran except my OC's. Some of the people might sound AU so sorry._**

Chapter 10

Falling Apart

Weeks had passed since New Years had ocurred. It was now the end of January and the feeling of spring was on its way. Valentine's Day was on its way. In the hall students passed by either going to class, the library or club meetings. Chattering was heard throughout the school like any other day. Roughly fourteen days until Valentine's Day and the girls were already chatting up a storm of whether having their cooks make the cake or chocolates, or simply getting it store bought. Girls giggled as the Host Club passed through the halls discussing the latest cosplay. Haruhi and Sakuya were nowhere in sight, which was odd to most of the people at Ouran since the club was **always** together. A few girls waved and called out the names of the club. Hunny smiled and waved cutely with Mori nodding in aknowledgment. Kyoya smirked slightly with Tamaki waving and calling out the girl's names as well. The twins nodded and slightly saluted the others. From out of nowhere, Momoka Kuragano popped up. The twins were slightly startled.

"Where's Haruhi and Sakuya?" asked Kuragano.

The twins stopped to look down at her.

"Probably in the cooking room. They were talking about some recipe for cake or something," explained Hikaru.

Kuragano nodded in understanding and waved. Kaoru looked over in wonder.

"Where are you going Kuragano-san?" he asked.

She smiled and looked back.

"I'm going to see if they need my help," she explained as she walked off.

The twins looked at eachother suspiciously.

"You know, I've been wondering about this for a long time, but do you suspect that Kuragano has a crush on Haruhi and is jealous that Sakuya is getting her attention?" wondered Kaoru aloud.

Hikaru shrugged. Kyoya watched as the twins sneaked away to look after Sakuya. Tamaki glanced at Kyoya.

"Where are they going?" Tamaki asked.

Kyoya sighed.

"Probably ran off to mess around with Haruhi and Sakuya," informed Kyoya with slight irritation.

Hunny had his stuffed bunny Usa-chan strapped around his back like a back pack. He was now used to carrying around the cute golden retreiver puppy that he had received from Sakuya way back during New Year's Eve. Mori had kept his in the club room where he placed all his precious items.

***

Hair placed in a high ponytail and a kerchief to keep hair from falling into the mix. An apron to protect clothing from spills was a rose colored pattern. A whisker was in one hand, while the other took a hold of the bowl. Slowly the ingredients were mixed watched intently as he stirred his own batch. We were in the home ec room working on a new recipe we discovered inside the book I had given to Haruhi. A lemon custard cake...hmm sounded delicious. I smiled slightly. I really hoped that the recipe would come out okay. I glanced over at Haruhi who seemed to be enjoying the company.

"Wow. You're real good at this. I'd have never expected you to be able to make a cake without over cooking or making amateur mistakes like placing chocolate in direct heat," explained Haruhi.

I nodded in triumph. I glanced around to see the room was pretty clean and as if no one had ever used the place.

"I took cooking classes when I was in middle school," I explained.

The door opened and in walked Momoka Kuragano. She waved slightly.

"Konnichiwa!" she greeted.

I looked over and bowed slightly.

"Konnichiwa Kuragano-san," I greeted back.

Haruhi glanced over slightly and nodded,

"Good afternoon. So, Kuragano what brings you here?" he asked.

She blushed slightly and looked around.

"I was wondering if you needed any help with anything," she wondered.

I scanned the room to see anything that would suffice her thirst for being in the same room as Haruhi.

"Sorry. The only thing left to do is place the batter in the pans and wash the bowls," I explained.

I doubted she really wanted to do any of these activities. She willingly walked over and grabbed the dirty utensils while going to work on cleaning the dirty dishes. I looked over at Haruhi who seemed confused on why anyone would even offer to do the dishes when it seemed like the person never lifted a finger **once** back at her place. I sighed and began pouring the mix into the pan. Haruhi walked over to supervise. He nodded in approval.

"The technique looks good. Although, next time try to get as much mix from the bowl and into the pan," he surveyed.

I nodded, but cringed when I heard the sound of a plate crashing on to the floor. I spun around to see a plate broken in thousands of pieces with Kuragano on the floor grabbing some of the shards with bare hands. I gasped.

"Wait! Be careful not to touch the glass or you'll cut yourself," I warned as I walked towards her.

She looked over at desperately for Haruhi's attention as he went over to get a broom. Out of character, she absently pricked her finger. She winced. I gasped.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

I rushed to her aid and took a hold of her hand. She grimaced and slapped away my hand. I pulled back and heard a distinct, 'shunk!' I looked down to see a fairly large piece of glass slash my forearm. Red liquid began to bubble slowly and run down my arm. I winced and felt my face pale. Haruhi rushed over and paled at the sight.

"What happened?! Are you okay?" he asked in alarm.

I took a deep breath.

"I slipped and cut myself," I explained.

Kuragano looked over with shock. She stood and ran towards us with a face of pain. The twins walked in glaring. She shrunk. Kaoru grabbed a hold of my arm and put pressure with an unused guided me safely towards the nurse's office while Hikaru dealt with Haruhi and Kuragano. He looked down at me with hard eyes.

"Why did you lie?" he asked.

I looked up in surprise.

"I never lied," I protested

He stopped walking.

"She **pushed** you, yet you blamed **slipping**?" he questioned.

I sighed.

"I wasn't lying. She never pushed me. Besides, she looked like she was sorry. She'd **never **do something like that on purpose. She's my friend," I informed.

He looked at me in exhasperation.

"You don't get it, do you? That girl hurt herself on **purpose** to get Haruhi's attention. In a way, you ruined her plans. Jealously can break the greatest of bonds," he explained.

I wrenched my arm from him. I glared.

"Well, not these bonds! Besides, its not like I like Haruhi as more than a friend, so I don't see why she would do something so cruel," I cried.

He looked at me with serious eyes and traveled to check the still bleeding arm. It didn't seem so deep that I needed stiches, but enough to probably need bandages wrapped tightly and antiseptic to disinfect my cut. I winced slightly and held my arm close. Arriving at the Nurse's office, I noticed that there was no one in there. I sighed.

***

Hikaru stopped Haruhi and Kuragano. Crossing his arms in anger he looked over at the perpetrator.

"Just what did you think you'd accomplish coming here? Were you honestly driven into pushing your own friend over a guy that she doesn't even have romantic feelings toward? That's low," Hikaru muttered loudly.

Her eyes widened.

"So, Sakuya-chan never had feelings for Haruhi?" she asked with shock.

Haruhi looked at her with surprise.

"Of course not. We're friends and that's it," explained Haruhi.

Kuragano looked down in shame.

"I'm so sorry. I never wanted her to get hurt," she apoligized.

She bowed deeply, but Hikaru still frowned.

"The one who you should be apologizing to right now is Sakuya. Don't know, but I feel like you betrayed her trust as a friend," explained Haruhi.

Kuragano sighed and nodded. She walked sullenly with Hikaru and Haruhi trailing behind her.

***

I sat on the chair with a blood soaked towel and I was starting to feel queasy. When was the bleeding going to end? I felt light headed. Kaoru sat on the waiting chairs but stood up immediately as he rummaged through the drawers of of the nurse's desk. I dared not to look over. I was still mad at the accusation of a friend's bonds being so easily broken. A hand was placed on my injury. I looked up to see Kaoru with a roll of bandages and some antiseptic along with a cotton swab. He removed the towel and began to dab at the injury while spraying the antiseptic which of course made me wince. Was he intentionally trying to cause me more pain? I looked away from his intense gaze. While I heard the unravelling of the roll to get the bandages ready, I felt the sudden stop of Kaoru's "caretaking" and felt warm contact just above the injury. I looked over to see his lips planted on the spot where my sleeves had been rolled. My eyes widened and for some reason, my skin felt ticklish. I slipped my hand from his grasp and looked at him with wide eyes.

"What was **that** about?" I asked.

A smile played on his lips. Ugh. Trouble. He leaned in closer.

"Kissing your **owie** to make it feel better," he stated.

I leaned back and glanced at the bandages. I snatched them and turned away from Kaoru's gaze. I looked over suspicously.

"I'd rather **treat** my own wounds. Stay at least five feet away from me, you pervert," I retorted.

As I began wrapping the bandages around the injury, I glanced over to see Kaoru chuckling to himself. Trying to get the binds extra tight was going to be hard since I couldn't wrap with one arm. Realizing the situation, I glanced over and had no choice but to look upon the aid of Kaoru. He sighed and walked over to wrap the bindings.

"I thought you didn't want **help** from the **pervert,**" he teased.

I looked at him with the same cautious look.

"Well, I might have said that, but at the moment I'm kind of an invalid. So go ahead, but I'm watching you," I explained.

He grinned and made the bandages **extra** tight. I flinched and glared at him.

"All done," he stated.

I pulled my arm away as he sat down next to me contemplating what to do with the towel.

"You didn't have to tighten it so much. Jeez, do you know how much that **hurts**?" I questioned.

He chuckled and grinned with his hand balling up the towel.

"Oh, I should have taken into account how...**fragile** you are," he teased.

I crossed my arms, but flinched when pain seered through my arm. I straightened my arm to keep from feeling any pain.

"What do you expect? I am a girl you know," I mumbled while looking down and not looking at him.

He looked down at me and placed the towel in a trash can along with the cotton swab. He sat back down and smiled. Kaoru took a hold of my waist and pulled me into his lap.

"That's too cute. Who would have thought I could get that reaction from you?" he said aloud as if thinking to himself.

This guy **really** doesn't know what the word **personal space** means. My cheeks pinkened. It seemed anytime I was alone with this guy, he acts out of character. True the whole touchy feely thing is normal, yet he gets me pretty worked up sometimes with his spontaneous ways. I looked down at my hands and sighed. I was definitely felt tired from the whole incident. Yawning slightly, I decided I was going to ignore this weird feeling. I was pretty sure Kaoru wouldn't mind if I just took a quick nap.

***

Kyoya was walking through the halls when a few people talked about Sakuya getting injured. Curious, he walked over to hear the rest of the story.

"Good afternoon. I couldn't help it, but did you say Sakuya was injured?" questioned Kyoya.

The girls nodded and explained that Kuragano had gone over to the kitchen where Haruhi and Sakuya were located. He listened silently as they finally ended the story by saying Sakuya was in the infirmary getting her wound treated. He smiled and bowed slightly and swiftly made it to the door reading,'Nurse's Office'. Quietly, he creaked the door open. Upon entering, he looked over in surprise. Sakuya sleeping soundly and then there was Kaoru. The youngest twin had the sleeping girl in his lap. Her head was resting in his shoulder. Kaoru blushed faintly and placed Sakuya on the bed tenderly. He stood up and was walking away, when he froze and saw Kyoya looking over curiously. He felt his face warm as he suspected that Kyoya was there for a while.

"Uh, did you just witness that?" he asked quietly.

Kyoya, with crossed arms, nodded slightly.

"I see, so you have romantic feelings for Sakuya. This is interesting," surveyed Kyoya.

The two walked out of the room. Silence was all that really could describe the tension between Kyoya and Kaoru. Kyoya tensed slightly. He squeezed his hand in slight anger. Jealousy? He shook it off. A small plan began to form in his mind.

***

News traveled fast it seemed, as about half the school had heard about the incident that had taken place in the cooking room. All class A's of every grade had the inside story. Hunny was crying with Mori petting his head. Tamaki had rushed over to the classroom also in tears.

"We must visit her in the nurse's office at once!" he cried out.

The other two nodded and trekked on over to the office. Kyoya, Haruhi, and the twins were nowhere in sight. No one was in sight and it seemed as if the office was empty. Hunny closed his eyes and nodded. He pointed over in a random direction and the three witnessed a dozing Sakuya. The three looked down at her quietly and wondered what the extent of the damage was.

"How did you know that Sakuya was there?"questioned Tamaki.

Hunny smiled broadly.

"Her scent," he explained.

Tamaki looked at him questioningly, but shrugged. A yawn escaped Sakuya's lips as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eye. Her usual high ponytail came loose with her hair cascading past her waist. A few strands were in her face. She looked over with half closed eyes at the three. Tamaki's hug-o-meter rose to its peak and he let his emotions overtake him. He hugged her tightly while yelling out the ocassional,"Kawaii!" She gasped and was finally fully awake.

"Tamaki senpai?" she questioned.

She glanced over to see the other two. She waved slightly and winced. Tamaki immediately let go. His eyes traveled to her left arm that was bandaged. He then began crying hysterically.

***

What a wake up call. I sighed. I moved some of my hair from my face and glanced over at the overly hysteric Tamaki. What else was new? I'm starting to think I'm a full out klutz or something. I sat up and looked around.

"Where's Kaoru? He was here a while ago," I wondered out loud.

The three shrugged and Hunny looked over at me with teary eyes.

"Are you okay, Saa-chan?" he asked with concern.

I nodded.

"I'm alright. Just cut myself is all," I explained.

Tamaki looked over in surprise.

"You mean, Kuragano-san didn't **push** you?" he asked.

My eyes widened.

"What **idiot** told **you** that **lie**?" I questioned bitterly.

Tamaki looked taken aback.

"Well, the news was traveling **everywhere**, so I just assumed-" he started.

I glared. I think I had an idea on the **person**.

"Well, you thought wrong," I snapped.

He took a step back with hurt in his eyes. Hunny looked over with curiosity.

"Saa-chan, did something happen?" asked Hunny.

I sighed and calmed down.

"I'm sorry Tamaki-senpai. I shouldn't be snapping at you like that when you went through the trouble of coming over. Its just that, Kuragano is my friend and I know she would never do that," I explained.

The three nodded. I slipped out of the bed and fixed the sheets. Walking out with my friends, I saw Haruhi and the twins walking over in concern. Hikaru eyed the bandages and looked at me with wonder.

"How deep **was** the cut in the first place?" he questioned.

Sighing, I calculated roughly the length of it running from the forearm sliced across to the elbow. Glad it didn't get an artery. Sorry too graphic.

"Just a small cut," I explained.

Kaoru looked at me in disbelief but kept his mouth shut when he saw that I placed my index finger near my lips in silence him. The others were unaware of that. Haruhi looked over at me in curiosity.

"You know, after the glass was picked up, and we guided Kuragano-san back to class, Hikaru and I went back to get the cakes out from the oven," he explained.

My ears perked in wonder.

"Were they any good?" I asked.

Rummaging through a bag, my cake was placed on the counter. The color was a golden brown and looked like the recipe was a success. All that was needed was the custard filling and glaze. Hunny glanced at the cake with shining eyes. Of course he was entranced with its rich and sweet aroma. Looking over with pleading eyes, I had no choice but to cut him a slice. It may smell good and look appealing, but I wasn't sure if I actually **baked** it properly. With an intense gaze, I waited for the response. A bite and his face lit up like a light bulb. My relief was realized when another bite entered his mouth and swallowed.

"Yum. It's so delicious," he said happily.

I smiled. Guess it was time to head back to class. We all walked our seperate ways with the twins and Haruhi behind my trail. I still had not forgiven Kaoru for his accusations, but that didn't mean that I wasn't going to talk to Hikaru and Haruhi.

"Anything happen over the weekend?" I asked innocently.

Hikaru and Kaoru shrugged.

"We didn't do much. Just stayed home and hung out," explained Hikaru.

Kaoru agreed with a slight nod. I looked over at the silent Haruhi.

"What about you, Haruhi?" I asked.

He looked around through the window and looked back up smiling.

"Did my homework and hung out with my dad on his day off at home," he explained.

Hm. Must be nice. My father was rarely home. Although, strangely, I heard he was coming back sometime this month. Shrugging off the thought, we entered the classroom.

***

Kyoya sat in class with Tamaki sitting next to him listening with anticipation. The class was math. An easy **A** for Kyoya nonetheless. The time spent with critical thinking was being wasted on the plot that would keep the twins away from Sakuya. It seemed as if the demon lord was coming out slowly but surely from the usually calm and collected young man. Scribbling the thoughts down in his notebook, he knew that the plan would be flawless. He then placed his full attention back at the teacher. Tamaki glanced over in wonder of what Kyoya was writing in his notebook. He was curious of what was distracting the usually focused best friend. Yes, Tamaki was an idiot that even the most oblivious of things always passed his sight. When the ordeal came to romance, the King of hosting was full aware of the feelings of others. (That is, as long as it didn't involve Haruhi or himself.) Leaning over, he squinted to read the small handwriting. The sound of a ruler slamming the desk startled Tamaki as he stood and knocked over Kyoya's belongings on the floor. The entire class looked over in awe. As for the teacher, irritation was very evident.

"Suoh-kun! I would have expected better from you! Please pay attention and help Ohtori-kun pick up his items. I'll let you off with a warning, but next time, I'll **gladly** hand out a detention slip," said the angered teacher.

Tamaki bowed deeply and looked over with fear.

"Yes sensei! Forgive me," he bellowed.

The teacher noddded and went back to the lesson as Tamaki picked up Kyoya's school supplies. His hand drifted for the blue notebook, which was quickly slipped out of his reach. He looked up to see Kyoya smiling his evil grin as if to say,"Touch this and you die." Tamaki whimpered and snapped his hand away from any contact with the notebook. Lessons continued as planned, uneventful of chaos.

***

Hunny and Mori were in class listening to the science lesson. Hunny felt worried over Sakuya's injury. Although she tried to pull of the whole thing as nothing, he was sure that she was in real pain. He stared at his golden retriever puppy which was planted in front of him on his desk. He played quietly with it and smiled. The girl may have some trust issues, but she was a nice kid.

_"Saa-chan is a good girl. Plus, her cake is delicious!"_

Mori absently looked out the window in wonder. He wasn't much of a talker, but of course he could tell that Sakuya was loyal to her friends and was a bit gullible. The whole denial of her friend pushing her was of course a cover up. He remembered her angered face which was directed at someone else entirely. He felt as if she was always hiding something from them. He couldn't quite place it, but he knew the evidence in her face that there was something tormenting her every now and then when she felt as if she were really happy.

"I wonder if this might have to do with her mother," he thought to himself.

The thought was something he never would say out loud to anyone except maybe if the chance ever came, to Sakuya.

***

Classes ended and everyone was filing out. While grabbing my bag, my left arm winced at the slight flexing of the arm. Ignoring the pain, the four of us were making our way back to the Host Club. During the day, I was getting a bunch of concerned looks from others about my health. I was pretty sure that the one responsible for that had to be Kyoya. We arrived to find everyone sitting in anticipation. Great. Don't tell me another **boring** meeting. Sitting in our usual seats, we waited for the Vice President to begin the meeting. Kyoya walked around and stood in front of the club.

"For about 2 months, we've had Sakuya do meager errands and only attended a party. I've decided to make the progress go along quickly and would best be if she were to join our ranks," Kyoya explained.

Wait...what?! The twins looked over in shock along with everyone else besides Kyoya.

"Are you saying that **I** should become a **hostess**?" I questioned.

Tamaki was in deep thought. He was weighing the pros and cons of the hostess thing.

"You know, that wouldn't be such a bad idea," Tamaki thought out loud.

This **can't** be possible. I have no intention of even **pursuing** such a career.

"Are you **crazy**?! Do you even have a **brain**?!" cried out Hikaru.

Kaoru nodded in agreement and stood at his side with an angered look on his face.

"You've forgotten who you're talking to dear brother. Of **course** his brain is made out of mush. Why he **really** said it was okay to have her be a hostess is only to have more time **hanging **out. How selfish," tutted Kaoru.

Hunny looked over at me with his adorable eyes.

"Are you going to join?" he asked.

Honestly, my mind always came to the same conclusion. Only two letters come to mind. N and O, which of course spells no.

"I don't think so. I've already gone through the whole servitude thing and for some reason, I feel like becoming a host is just a step back," I concluded.

The twins nodded, but looked over at me with hurt in their eyes. Mori glanced over with his usual stoic face. Haruhi sighed as he knew that the usual set up the guys put on.

"Why the sudden urge, Kyoya?" asked Haruhi.

Kyoya plastered on his cold and calculating smile which sent shivers down my back. He was not going to answer the question.

"Sorry Kyoya-senpai, but you don't have the power to force me into something like that," I countered.

He chuckled slightly.

"Don't I? I seem to recall a certain incident that was **breezed **by after our **outing** near-" he whispered near my ear.

Argh! More blackmail?! There was no way I could get out of this **now**. Cutting him off was probably the wrong thing, but I needed to stop him from saying anymore.

"Fine," I said softly in defeat.

He smirked and nodded.

"Good," he said in approval.

I felt like punching him, but I didn't. Of course, I'm a pacifist. The twins looked at me as if I had deceived them.

"Don't look at me like that," I whispered while not meeting their gaze.

The two crossed their arms with scowls on their faces. They huddled close and ever so often looked my way with curious eyes.

"Alright its settled. Then let the training commence. This will take grueling work which might require long hours of isolation from certain trouble makers," Kyoya explained.

Hunny walked closer with a strange look on his face. He looked like he was trying to analyze the sort of tension that was clearly starting become evident between the twins, Kyoya and I. Sighing, I knew there was trouble ready to rise at any moment.

***

Tamaki and Kyoya were in an enclosed room with Sakuya working hard on her training. They were not as harsh with her as they were with Haruhi before they discovered she was a girl, although. Sakuya intook a deep breath and took a cup while placing her pinky underneath to make it more elegant. Tamaki nodded in approval.

"Beautiful! Very graceful," he commented.

She looked over rather boredly but nodded. Kyoya's cheeks reddened slightly as he saw a fluffy aura of Sakuya as she gracefully took a tray and practiced walking. He noticed a slight wobble from the tray as he saw the tea cup shake slightly. Kyoya gallantly came from behind and placed his hands on Sakuya's own to stable her trembling. Leaning forward, he caught the sweet scent of lilies. Her light brown hair was loose and undeniably tempting to take a hold of. Resisting the urge, he encouraged his young kohai.

"Nice form. Although, try to keep a steady hold so that there won't be any unnecissary spillings," explained Kyoya.

Sakuya nodded and straightened her posture once more to get a hold of the new found information to make her work more smoothly. The difference was rather impressive. She went from amateur to professional in just a few short seconds.

"You really are a natural. We should have done this a long time ago. I'm glad you brought the idea up, Kyoya," complimented Tamaki.

She groaned internally at the thought. Being a hostess was never her plan to begin with. Now that she thought about it, how was being a personal servant helping to pay off the laptop? The thought dawned on her that maybe the twins were never really going to set her free. For some odd reason though, Sakuya didn't seem to feel angered at the discovery. Shrugging, she went back to the enclosed door...

Hikaru and Kaoru placed their ears next to the door in order to hear what was happening inside the **forbidden room** as Tamaki had dubbed the area. Haruhi glanced over while sighing. Hunny sat down with Mori next to them as the two began discussing the feeling of jealousy in the air.

"Kyoya hasn't realized it, but he is slowly falling for Saa-chan. As for Kaoru, he seems to have liked her since the day she transferred here. Only, there hasn't been any progress. Hikaru...I'm not too sure. Maybe the same as Kaoru and that's why there hasn't been much going on. Saa-chan is left in the dark of the fact and looks like she is starting to get along better with Hikaru and Kaoru," commented Hunny.

Mori nodded as he too had figured that it was something complicated. A love square? Sakuya's feelings were still unknown to the group. Although, the grimaces that were usually apointed to Kyoya seemed to slowly fade. Hunny was pretty sure that Kyoya had made up the plot for her to become a hostess to prevent anymore bonding between the twins out of fear. High school life was complicated. Haruhi sat on one of the benches reading a book silently hoping that the whole curiosity thing would fade. She was pretty sure that there was cram training going on behind closed doors and nothing else. Ignoring the thought, she continued her reading.

"Do you think that the demon lord and M'lord are making any progress?" wondered Kaoru.

Hikaru shrugged as if he really didn't care.

"Why the hell would I care? I'm pretty sure this is some excuse of Kyoya's to have the three of us seperated or something," concluded Hikaru.

The comment was not far from the the week...

The past eight days were used to train and prep. The twins, Hunny, Haruhi and Mori were working on the promotions to bring in the customers for their new hostess. Posters were placed around the high school and flyers were being distrubuted. The twins were not very happy with the idea of sharing their beloved toy with the other guys in the school, but there wasn't much they could do. For now, they'd just deal with it. But if it ever got too serious, they were sure to have a plan to rescue her. During classes seemed to be the only time that the twins and Sakuya really had to hang out. Working on assignments as a group activity was more frequent and usually when the guys would mess with her. While working on a art assignment, Sakuya decided to bring up an interesting subject.

"Valentine's day is coming up in a few days," she noted.

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced up in surprise. Haruhi shrugged.

"That's right. I almost forgot about it," noted Haruhi.

Hikaru groaned as Kaoru sighed.

"Great. You just **had** to bring up the taboo holiday!" exclaimed Hikaru.

Puzzeled, Sakuya glanced at Kaoru for an explanation.

"Let's just say, that we're glad that there's no school on that day. Last year, we had lug off with 3 car loads worth of chocolate back home," Kaoru explained.

She nodded in understading.

"Too much trouble. I mean, the whole white day thing would be madness if we were to give back a gift to those that gave us chocolate," mumbled Hikaru.

Sakuya glanced at him with disappointment.

"I feel sorry to all your fans. So mean," she commented.

Hikaru just shrugged as if he really didn't care. The four continued their work and chattered with one another. Easy going laughter was clearly evident as they hung out like close friends. There was a knock on their class door and then the group was broken. Kyoya entered the room and scanned the area. Walking up to the teacher, he placed a note on the table. The art teacher nodded and looked over at the table of four working on their art.

"Mazaki-san. Get your things for early dismissal," ordred the teacher.

Curiously, she grabbed her things and waved to the twins and Haruhi. An angry aura illuminated the twins as she walked off with Kyoya.

"Kyoya is **definitely** trying to come between us. It can't be a **coincidence **that the minute we're having fun, he just goes out and **ruins** it with a **lame** excuse," spat out Hikaru.

Kaoru nodded.

"Let's follow them," whispered Kaoru.

Haruhi sighed.

"Maybe you should stop being so paranoid and pay attention to class. I know what Kyoya did was probably blackmail or whatever, but there really isn't much we can do," she pointed out.

The twins sighed and sat back down.

***

I walked down the hall with Kyoya beside me. I glanced over curiously.

"Exactly why was I called out? I know that the whole early dismissal thing was a lie," I noted.

He chuckled.

"You're sharp," he surveyed.

I sighed and looked at him expectantly.

"Well, what's up?" I asked getting slightly impatient.

Sighing he looked down at me.

"More practice," he informed.

Really? This was real irritating.

"That could have easily been taken care of **after school**," I noted.

He stopped in his tracks and faced me abruptly. He looked at me with his deathly looking smile. A hand was placed on the wall with me cornered. I gasped.

"Does there always have to be a logical explanation for what I do? You do realize that I am liable to give out information that may cause a rift between you and your **best** friends," he explained.

The hallways were empty with the only sound of my heart echoing in my ears constantly. This guy was really scaring me. Dark brown eyes felt like they were boring into my inner being. The sound of heels clearly showed that someone was coming. Quickly, he pulled away.

"Why would he do something like that?" I wondered.

He glanced back over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Well, aren't you coming?" he asked.

I grimaced and nodded.

***

Walking into Music Room 3, the twins were prepared for the worst. Opening the doors, the two witnessed a raven haired young woman in the high school uniform. She sat at the table with her back turned to the others. Her pale hands toyed boredly with a tea cup while tracing the round rim with her index finger. No one was in sight and they wondered how she got in there.

"Hey. Sorry but we're not open yet. Come back later," called out Hikaru as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Kaoru felt as if she was familiar. He glanced sideways as she turned to face him. Familiar blue eyes stared into honey colored ones. His eyes widened.

"Sakuya?!" the twins asked in unision.

She nodded haggardly. The twins wondered why she was wearing a black wig.

"Kyoya **insisted** I wear this **wig** for some** strange **reason," she informed.

The twins looked around the room.

"Where **is** Kyoya anyway?" asked Hikaru.

She shrugged slightly.

"His cell rang and he stepped out. Since then, I haven't seem him," she explained.

Hikaru sat on the right while Kaoru sat on the left side of Sakuya in a chair. They felt happy to have Sakuya alone and at least a bit of time out of class together without the demon lord around.

"How long do you think **training **is going to last?" asked Kaoru.

Looking out the window, she just shrugged.

"I don't know," she confessed.

Hikaru felt angry. It felt like the stupid training would never end. Kaoru was more cool headed, but he still felt a slight jealousy over the fact that Kyoya was slowly seperating the three friends. Haruhi had left early that day because she was out buying groceries as her dad had the day off today, so it was just the three of them. The door creaked open and Kyoya walked in. Hikaru glared slightly, but tried his best to act normal.

"Hey Kyoya," greeted Kaoru.

He nodded slightly and slowly walked inside while taking a seat in his usual seat.

"What brings you here?" he asked.

The twins looked at each other.

"Decided to hang out with Sakuya," explained Hikaru.

Kyoya looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"You do realize that we're in the middle of training," he noted.

Hikaru and Kaoru nodded crossed their arms. Sakuya glanced at the three curiously.

"Yup. We're staying. I mean, we barely have time to hang out with Sakuya anymore because all you ever do is try to seperate us," accused Hikaru.

Kyoya looked slightly annoyed.

"Is that what you think? What I'm trying to do is train her for hosting. But, the two of you are always trying to interfere so you can just **play around **like small children," criticized Kyoya.

The twins were taken aback. Sakuya stood up in surprise.

"Really, well you're just an **old man** stuck in a teenager's body! I mean, what 17 year old goes around always thinking of profits?!" exclaimed the twins.

More irritation loomed overhead the three bickering teens. Sakuya stood in front of them.

"You guys calm down," she pleaded

The three glared at one another. Hikaru, Kyoya and Kaoru pushed her out of the way. Her eyes widened. Grabbing her things she made her way to the door. She looked back.

"I've got to go," she whispered softly.

Kyoya snapped out of his irritation and took a hold of her hand before she had the chance to open the door and leave. She gazed up at him with surprise and slight fear. Swiftly, she slipped out of his grasp and ran out of the room blushing. The twins looked over at Kyoya with wide eyes as he stared down at his hand. Tamaki entered the room with Mori and Hunny trailing behind. Curiously, the three looked over at the twins and the demon lord.

"Hey guys. What's going on?" asked Tamaki.

The twins and Kyoya glared at him.

"Stay out of this," the three chorused.

Tamaki backed away into the corner. Hunny looked around in wonder.

"Where's Saa-chan and Haru?" he questioned.

Mori shrugged whilst Tamaki glanced at the angry pack with sad puppy eyes.

***

Whisking by trees and stores, my mind felt jumbled and confused. Wrapping both arms around my legs which were pressed close to my body, I felt my heart beating wildly. Why were the twins and Kyoya acting so strange just now? Was it...because of me? Glancing at the window, I realized I was still wearing the black wig. I quickly removed the disguise and hid it in my bag. I needed to be extra careful since my last adventure of sneaking out. Strangely, when I returned home, I noticed that the lock was broken. When I pointed it out to Yoneko, she laughed nervously and had a professional come and fix the lock. I had a good feeling that Yoneko was somehow involved with the lock incident. Upon stopping in front of the steps to my house, I noticed a red sports car parked in the open garage next to the house. Entering my house, I came to realize that the staff was frantic with preparing food and other assortment of things. What was all the commotion? Searching the area, I couldn't seem to find Yoneko. I slipped out of my shoes and quietly walked up the stairs where I was pretty sure I would find Yoneko. Turning the corner, I saw her dark brown hair in a tight french braid. I smiled and speed walked towards her.

"Hi Yoneko!" I called.

She forced a smile and waved. I stopped in my tracks. What happened? Looking closely, I saw that her eyes were slightly red from crying.

"Hello Sakuya-sama. Did you have a nice day at school today?" she asked in a wavering voice.

I stepped closer in concern.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She shook her head and tried to hide her emotions.

"Nothing is wrong," she explained.

The door at the very end slammed. I spun around in alarm and witnessed the entrance of a man in his late thirties. Dark brown with slight streaks of grey in his close cropped hair. Pale and fairly thin with tiny crows feet near his eyes. Eyes were a hard hazel color. He wore a navy blue suit with silver cuffs. Standing at 6'0, I was perfectly certain of who this man was. It was my father back from Germany.

***

Hikaru and Kaoru sat in their usual seats waiting for Sakuya to arrive. Haruhi sat in her usual seat as well getting a good read into her book.

"Isn't it weird that Sakuya hasn't showed up yet?" questioned Kaoru.

His twin and Haruhi agreed. As the statement was left in the air, the door opened and Sakuya walked in with a tired look on her face. She walked up to the teacher and handed a note. Sensei nodded and looked around the class.

"Akiko Wakamura, would you be so kind as to change seats with Sakuya?" asked the teacher.

The dark haired girl nodded and sat in the chair where Sakuya usually sat. (Which was in between the twins.) Swiftly, their toy was placed in the back row several seats away from the twins. Her face was hidden behind her history book. Haruhi and the twins felt that this was way out of character.

"What's up with her?" wondered Hikaru.

Haruhi stared hard at the twins.

"Did you say something to her yesterday while I was gone?" she questioned.

They shook their head, but then slowly their brains began to process the incident that had taken place in the music room.

"Wait...does yesterday's incident count as that?" wondered Kaoru.

Curiously, Haruhi waited for the two to continue with expectant eyes. The twins glanced over at Sakuya and her unreadable expression which was driving them crazy. Turning back, Hikaru and Kaoru decided it was best to talk about it with Haruhi.

"Well, it happened like this..." began school...

Sakuya had been totally distant from the twins and Haruhi. It seemed that maybe the whole Kyoya incident had left Sakuya hurt from having them push her away when all she tried to do was help. Or maybe it had to do with the fact that she was embarrassed about the fact a guy had held her hand. Whatever the case, Hikaru and Kaoru felt hurt. Mostly Kaoru felt slightly depressed about the fact. He really thought that the two were starting to go somewhere. Sakuya left the room first with the twins and Haruhi not far behind. While the double H single K group (Hikaru, Haruhi and Kaoru) walked towards the music room, Sakuya was making her way out the school.

"She's **skipping** club **duties**?! Boy is Kyoya going to be pissed," surveyed Hikaru.

Kaoru watched in concern. He knew that something was not right. Sakuya would **never** act **irresponsible** without **saying** anything about going to skip the week...

For the past week, there was clear evidence that Sakuya was **intentionally** avoiding the club members. Not only did she stop going to club, but by Friday, she had **ceased** coming to school. This was a huge concern with the members, that they decided to pay a visit to her that very day. The whole club piled in about two fairly expenisive cars which were lead by the twins to finally visit the Mazaki Mansion. Haruhi wasn't really in the mood to go, but as usual she was forced to go as a 'back up'. Arriving at the mansion, Tamaki looked rather impressed. The gates were at the moment closed, but were quickly opened when one of the free spirited maids noticed the twins. The seven club members entered with Hunny noticing that the walls were bare of any family photos. Passerby staff members looked curiously at the bunch, but were busy preparing a spectacular meal for dinner. Mori's eyes traveled around the spacious room in order to locate Sakuya. Strangely, there was no sight of her.

"Let's head upstairs. That's where her room is located," explained Hikaru.

Haruhi felt like they were intruding and like they really had no right to just parade into someone's house uninvited. The twins, Kyoya, Tamaki, Hunny and Mori slowly made their way to the stairs, when from behind, a booming voice echoed the hallway.

"Just **where** do you think **you're **going?" demanded an elderly male voice.

The entire club spun around in alarm. A man in his late 30's with stern hazel eyes glared at them. He was evidently taller than most of the members. (Besides Mori) His arms were crossed in anticipation for their response. Wearing a black suit with a red tie, he looked rather important and professional. Curiously, none of them had any idea what the man specialized in or what he ran. Kyoya's mind clicked. It was Kou Mazaki which happened to be Sakuya's father. Kou was fairly new to the industry of a company. Kyoya recalled the other executives and his father that had come to hear the new plan at the holiday party in December, which was still unknown towards him. Thinking back, he wasn't even sure what Kou even did. However, this was not important at the moment. An enraged father was boring holes through their heads. (And what father wouldn't? Having a handome young man enter the house to see his daughter is one thing, but six?! This would give any father a heart attack.) It was up to Kyoya to subtly get them out of the mess.

"Good afternoon sir. I'm Kyoya Ohtori and these are my friends. Sorry for the intrusion. We just came to see how Mazaki-san was doing since she wasn't at school today," he explained eloquently.

The same hard stare penetrated their very being. This was the first time that the whole club actually felt scared for their lives.

"What are you, her **boyfriends**," he accused.

They took a step back in alarm. Tamaki took a step forward and smiled his ultra charming smile.

"N-no sir. Forgive our intrusion. We're friends of Sakuya. After all, we would **never **dare to lay a **hand **on your daughter. She is like a **daughter** to me," boasted Tamaki.

The twins groaned. Kou's face turned an alarming red.

"GET OUT!" he screamed.

The twins stepped in to calm the bull.

"Can we at least see Sakuya?" asked Hikaru.

Kaoru nodded.

"We're really worried about her. She's our **best friend**," pleaded Kaoru.

Kou's anger subsided slightly.

"No. I'm sorry but she's grounded right now. So could you please just leave?" questioned Mr. Mazaki.

Sulkily, the twins and Hunny, followed by the rest walked out of the door.

"Well, that was weird," commented Haruhi.

The Tamaki agreed and the twins glared at him.

"Idiot," the two murmured.

If it wasn't for Tamaki's stupid comment, they would have been **kicked** out. Kaoru's cell began buzzing. Curiously, he saw a text from the MIA hostess. There were only two words. Which must have meant that her father had taken away her phone, or he just so happened to walk into her room.

"HELP ME," was printed in bold letters.

Tamaki's eyes twinkled as he glanced at Hunny and Haruhi.

"Looks like its time for plan B," he said while chuckling.

Haruhi looked at him skeptically. Hunny smiled in his usual chipper way.A few hours later...

Haruhi sighed with Hunny giggling happily. She was wearing the school's uniform and wearing a dark brown wig with straight edge bangs. The hair went a little past the shoulders straight across. Hunny walked over wearing the girl's uniform with a curly light brown wig and Usa-chan in his arms. The two walked over to the house and knocked on the double doors. From the corner, the rest of the club watched in anticipation. Tamaki smiled and whispered,"Cute." at seeing Haruhi in the girl's uniform. The twins shushed him as the doors were opened and Kou looked down at the unseeming girls. He looked down curiously.

"Uh, hello. May I help you?" asked Kou.

Haruhi akwardly waved slightly. Hunny smiled and waved cutely.

"Hi! I'm Mitsuki Haninozuka, and this is Haruhi Fujioka! We were wondering if we could see Saa-chan," Hunny intervened.

Kou smiled slightly.

"Are you friends with Sakuya?" he questioned.

Haruhi nodded.

"Yeah. We came to talk about our project we're supposed to work on," she explained.

He bit his lip slightly, but opened the door wider and let the two inside. Back outside, the twins cheered in triumph with Tamaki joining in. Mori and Kyoya glanced at them quietly. Inside, Kou directed Haruhi and Hunny up the stairs and to the light blue door. The head maid, which Haruhi recalled was Yoneko, took a key from her pocket and placed it in the key hole. The door turned and Hunny with Haruhi trailing behind walked in. Sakuya was on her queen bed wearing a pair of jean shorts and a white tank top. Her eyes widened when she saw Haruhi and Hunny. Her mouth curved into a smile and she began to laugh.

***

When the door opened and I saw the familiar faces, they made me laugh out loud. Haruhi and Hunny in the girl's uniform.

"Ahahahahaha! What are you wearing?" I asked.

Hunny leaned close.

"Just call me Mitsuki!" he squealed.

I turned away and buried my face in my pillow while slamming my fist on the mattress. I was shaking uncontrollably and tried my best to calm down.

"Seems like you're in a good mood. I would have thought you were being **tortured **by the way you sent the text to Kaoru," noted Haruhi.

I looked over seriously and took a good look at Haruhi. My eyes widened.

"Oh my god! You're a girl, aren't you?" I asked in realization.

Haruhi sighed and nodded. Wow, how could I have been so **blind**?! (It took her 10 chapters for her to figure this out!) I must really be stupid. Hunny came over and hugged me tightly smiling.

"I haven't seen you in such a long time! I missed you so much," commented Hunny.

I smiled and sighed.

"I'm sorry. My **father** just **grounded **me. He wouldn't let me out of his **sights** for some reason. At first he'd let me go to school, with the conditon of coming directly home after school. But then, he **locked **me in my room. So, here I am. With no idea why I'm even here," I explained.

Haruhi nodded and looked at me skeptically.

"There's one more thing I'd like to know. The guys really felt hurt that you'd been avoiding us lately. Was that because of your father as well?" she asked.

I sat on my bed and sighed as the dreaded question came up.

"No. I'm not 100% positive, but I think there's an insider who's relaying my time at Ouran and the people I'm with, so I needed to protect you guys so that my father wouldn't find out about my mostly guy friends," I explained.

Haruhi groaned. Hunny sat next to me and glanced out the window.

"I guess your **plan **was created for nothing. Now your father knows **all **about your...er friends," she commented.

I stood up in alarm.

"Oh my God. What happened?" I asked.

She explained the whole 'father incident' with Tamaki and how they all got kicked out.

"What?! I know Tamaki is trying, but he is getting me pretty agravated here," I explained.

Haruhi nodded in agreement.

"So, how long are you going to be stuck here?" she asked.

I shrugged and sighed.

"I don't know," I confessed.

The doors whisked open and the first thing that came to mind was to play it cool. I smiled over at Hunny.

"Mitsuki-chan. You're not wearing any lipgloss. Here, let me put some on for you," I said cheerfully.

Hunny smiled and stood still as I applied a cherry flavored lipgloss. Haruhi sat there nervously looking down at the homework. I glanced sideways to see my dad had brought up some snacks. Smiling he set down the tray and sat in my chair.

"So girls, are you making any progress?" he questioned.

We nodded just as I grabbed a pencil and began working on the papers.

"Yup! But we have to present this tomorrow. Would it be okay she came back to school?" asked Hunny.

He looked slightly grim and sighed.

"I don't know. I'll have to think about it. I'll be up in a little while and then I'll give you my answer," he said.

We nodded as he left. I sighed and collapsed on my bed.

"It was worth trying, but I knew he'd **never** listen to my friends," I explained.

I looked over at Hunny with the lipgloss still on. I grabbed a kleenex and wiped it off.

"Sorry Hunny. Help yourself to some cake," I pointed to the snacks.

He smiled and greatfully took a slice of strawberry cake.

"Thank you Saa-chan," he answered.

Haruhi sighed and took out her cell phone which had been buzzing off for quite some time.

"Hello?" she answered.

She walked out of the room.

***

Kou sat in his study room where he kept all his books and sighed. He wasn't too crazy about letting his daughter go back to the school. With eyes and ears always near his daughter, there was a certain issue that needed to be resolved. One of the students in Ouran was keeping him posted on his daughter's every move. There was some concern with the people that she was supposedly hanging out with. Trouble makers at the most, but still able to turn his daughter against him with rebellion. He turned on his computer and went directly to his email. Scanning his mail, he came across one that really grabbed his Haruhi...

"Yo, Haruhi. How's it going there with Sakuya? Did the old man crack?" asked Hikaru.

She sighed. He really had no manners for adults.

"We're still working on it. I'm not sure that Mr. Mazaki will change his mind. We should probably just accept it and go home," explained Haruhi.

A groan was heard in the background and he hung up. Haruhi shrugged and walked back into the room where Hunny and Sakuya sat eating the snacks laid out for them. They looked up at her curiously.

"Who called?" asked Sakuya.

Haruhi sat on a chair.

"It was Hikaru. He wanted to know if their was any progress for-" started Haruhi.

The door burst open and there was Kou Mazaki. Sakuya jumped slightly.

"Couldn't you at least knock?" she asked.

He shrugged and handed me a letter. He sighed.

"Well, I've thought about what Mitsuki-chan said, and I've decided to let you go back to school without my interference," he said smiling.

Sakuya gaped in amazement.

"You mean it?" she asked.

He nodded. She smiled and glanced at her friends. Hunny jumped up in happiness.

"Yay!" he cried as he bounced up and hugged Sakuya.

Haruhi nodded and smiled slightly.

"That's great," she commented.

***

Once Hunny and Haruhi had left, I glanced curiously at the letter that my father had given to me. There was no name on the outside, so there was no choice but to open it. Slowly, I slipped out the letter and began to read. When I had finished reading, my eyes widened. This couldn't be possible! This was probably why my dad was so eager for me to head back to school. I next day...

Walking into class, I was rather happy that the whole father thing was over. I sat in my usual seat in between the twins. I waved slightly.

"Hi guys," I greeted.

The twins grinned.

"Long time no see," commented Hikaru.

Kaoru nodded.

"Glad to see you back," commented Kaoru.

I nodded and leaned in close to the twins.

"Glad to be back. Although, now that you've met my father, don't expect things to go smoothly if you ever come to visit. I was pretty surprised to see Haruhi and Hunny dressed up as girls. It was a pretty good disguise. It had my father **fooled**. I can't believe it took me such a long time to finally figure out that Haruhi was **actually** a **girl**," I whispered.

The twins froze. I giggled softly. I knew that would shock the guys. The guys shushed me.

"You better keep that a secret," they whispered.

I looked over with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh, and what will you do if I don't? Just kidding. I would **never** let that slip. What kind of friend would I be if I did?" I asked.

The twins laughed nervously. I knew that would get to them. As the three of us chattered, Kuragano walked over with a sad face. I looked up in curiosity.

"Uhm, Sakuya-chan. I just wanted to apoligize to you for acting so mean and injuring you. You're my friend and I should known better than to get all upset over a boy," she explained.

I smiled and smirked over at Kaoru.

"It's okay. Apology accepted," I replied.

Kuragano smiled back and bowed slightly and returned to her seat. I looked over expectantly.

"So, our bonds are broken, eh?" I asked smugly.

Kaoru laughed nervously. Haruhi walked in and sat down near us. She waved. Thinking back, I think I unconciously knew that Haruhi was a girl. Not many guys enjoy cooking or are that good at it.

"Hi guys," she greeted.

I smiled and stood up.

"Hi Haruhi," I greeted back.

Sitting back down as classes began, I glanced out the window. I felt my smile fade as the letter came to mind. I just couldn't believe that **he** was coming back. **Permanently**?! This really frustrated me. If he were to come back into my life, then everyone would be asking questions to which I wouldn't be able to answer. Ryan was coming classes...

When I entered the club room, I was greeted in the arms of the Host Club King.

"Sakuya!!" he cried.

I sighed and slipped out of his hug.

"Glad to see you too Tamaki-senpai," I answered back.

Mori nodded and waved. Kyoya walked up to me and handed me a bag. I looked up with puzzlement. The twins walked in and grabbed a similar bag to the one I was holding. They disappeared and reappared wearing the most ridiculous looking outfits I had ever seen. Togas. The two looked over at me.

"Aren't you going to put yours on?" they asked.

What!? I opened the bag slightly, my eyes widened.

"You want me to wear **that**?! Are you crazy?!" I exclaimed.

Kyoya's glasses glinted.

"Oh, so you **object**? That's perfectly understandable. Well, I have an announcement to-" he began.

_I grumbled and walked out of the room to get changed. One of these days, karma would be sure to fall generously on him._


	11. Puzzle Pieces

**Hey everyone! Yukihime211 here. Forgive me for the 2 month intermission! Thank you all for your patience. This is an extra long chapter as usual so thanks for reading! This focuses more on Sakuya's past. Almost all your questions will be answered in this chapter! ^-^**

**Disclaimers:I do not own Ouran Host Club. Just the plot and my Oc. Some of the characters might be a bit AU so sorry. **

Chapter 11

Puzzle Pieces

Handing over the candy to Hunny, I knew he was excited. Valentine's Day had already passed, but I decided that I should at least thank Hunny for dressing up just to see how I was on Friday. He chomped down on the candy with happiness. The twins came from behind.

"Hey, what about us?" they asked.

I giggled and looked over smugly.

"I thought you said Valentine's Day was **taboo**. I **was** planning on making you some, but since you said that you didn't want to go through the trouble, I gave them away to some random guys in class 1-B," I teased.

Their eyes widened.

"Are you **nuts**?! Now they're going to think you** like **them," cried out Hikaru.

I sighed.

"I'm kidding. Besides, if I did, you know I'd say they were giri*," I explained.

The twins scowled. (Giri means obligation chocolates/valentine's day goodies ex: just friends) I handed other small bags of candy to the rest of the club members.

"So, does that mean we don't get one?" questioned Kaoru.

I smiled and made two more small bags of candy appear.

"I figured you guys would take back the comment," I noted.

The two looked at the meager bag.

"That's all we get?" they questioned.

I crossed my arms and sighed.

"What'd you expect, a 10 foot tall box filled with chocolates?" I teased.

They looked down at me with a serious face.

"That would help," they informed.

I rolled my eyes. These two. I sat in my usual chair near the window and quietly waited for my fans to arrive. The doors opened and my first customer walked in. He walked in with a big cheesy smile planted on his face and took his rightful place in the chair beside me. He was an athletic kind of guy who was currently in the cross country team. Rather slim with spiky brown hair. He was cute. Not the whole I'm in love with him sort of deal, but as in his sunny personality sometimes made people smile. He had somehow come up with a weird nickname for me. Yamato Tsukishima, First year class B.

"Good afternoon Tsukishima-san," I greeted politely.

He nodded and chuckled.

"No need to be so formal, Yaya," he explained.

I laughed forcefully. This was our sixth "date" so far. Back to the nick name ordeal, the second I started working on Saturday, I discovered that he was my very first customer. He remarked that the last hiragana in my name was rather strange, as the typical 'Saku' name was Sakura. Teasingly, he pointed out that **ya** was usually placed after a word to make shop. Like ramen-ya. Of course the kanji for my name was typically different. Thus, he began calling me **Yaya**. I was glad that the twins hadn't heard. Who knows **how'd** they react to the silly name. They'd probably **tease** me the entire year.

"Uh, alright...Yamato-kun," I replied.

He grinned and nodded in approval.

"That's better," he said smiling.

I sighed quietly.

"How was practice?" I questioned.

He looked out the window curiously, but turned his attention back to me. He grinned and began his tale of beating his previous mile time. He pantomimed his arms in starting position and moved them back and forth.

"So there I was. Feeling my lungs were about to give out..." he began.

I could see this was going to take a while.

***

Hikaru and Kaoru peeked from the couch across the room. They were quietly spying on Sakuya and Yamato. Hikaru wasn't too happy with Yamato. There wasn't a day where the three could play together anymore. It seemed as if the hostess ordeal was actually receiving a lot of positive out looks. There was of course economical increase. Most of all, the customers had **tripled**. A very good sign for the vice president. Kaoru watched silently as he saw Sakuya half listen to what her customer was saying. He grinned. If Kyoya were here, she'd probably get a good scolding. She drummed her nails on the table silently and nodded and acted as if she were actually listening. Kaoru glanced at his twins.

"Doesn't look like she's very interested in him," he surveyed.

Hikaru nodded and their interest diminished. The two sat normally on the couch and toyed with some binoculars.

***

"And that's why I've been chosen to lead the team to victory!" Yamato said with a raised fist.

I sat up straight and nodded. Kyoya passed by watching closely if there were any signs that I had been slacking. I stood from me seat and smiled.

"That's pretty amazing. I'm sorry for not asking before, but would you like some tea or something to drink?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded.

"Sure! I'll have some juice," he grinned.

I nodded and walked quietly to the kitchen. I arrived back with the tray and set it down. He drank and we made small talk. A natural host, was what Tamaki had called me. But I felt I didn't have a clue on what that even meant. A few hours passed by and he waved. I sighed. The rather over talkative Yamato was on his way home. I glanced at the schedule and noticed my next customer would arrive in a few minutes. I scanned the list and noticed it was a newcomer.

"Better lay it on **thick**," I thought.

The doors opened and a serious young man walked in. He had pitch black hair and rather light green eyes. Third year class B. I smiled my brightest smile as he took at seat.

"Good afternoon. I'm so **glad** to finally meet you," I greeted.

I felt like gagging for acting so phony. He nodded.

"Hey. So you're the new member Sakuya Mazaki?" he asked.

I looked at him curiously.

"Yes I am. So, tell me a little bit about yourself," I giggled.

Agh! This is torture. I hated myself right now. He was pretty quiet, which was weird when most of the customers were chatterboxes. I guess it was up to me.

"Are you interested in any...sports?" I asked.

He shrugged. He wasn't being very cooperative.

"I'm more of the intellectual type," he explained.

I nodded.

"Well, what do you like to do for fun?" I asked.

He sighed as if he thought I was an idiot. He was getting me mad. Sure, I wasn't the smartest of people, but that didn't mean he had to treat me like that.

"**Fun**? That is **juvenile**. There are better things I can do with my time than **play**. But if you mean what stimulates my mind, I'd say I enjoy the calming work of crunching numbers," he claimed.

Great. I've got to spend more than an **hour** with an antisocial **jerk** who thinks I'm an **idiot**. A bit of a nerd too. But if that's the case, why would he be placed in class B? I felt like a dead weight was placed on my chest. I hoped silently that this would be the last time he would ever request me. I glanced closely and felt as if he were familiar.

"Forgive me for being way out of line, but I feel as if you're very familiar. Do you by chance have any relatives that are foreign?" I asked.

A small smirk played on his lips. He crossed his arms slightly and just stared. My eyes widened. I knew that pose very well!

"Hm. You must be thinking about my cousin. But before that, I should tell you my name. Yuichi Nogi. Ryan Ackerman is my cousin," he explained.

I dropped the act right then and there and I stood up.

"I think we should end this now," I concluded.

If he was Ryan's cousin, that only meant that he was watching me until his cousin came back. He looked at me skeptically.

"What is your reason behind that?" he asked.

I sighed. Now it was my turn to look at him like an idiot. I glanced over slightly to see Kyoya talking to the twins. I leaned close.

"You're just here to watch over me until your **precious** cousin comes back. You have no real interest in me. I think it should be best if you never see me again. I've told Ryan countless of times that I have no interest in him, but it seems like that never gets through his head," I whispered.

He looked rather impressed.

"You're smarter than you look," he concluded.

I sighed and sat back down.

"Can we wrap this up?" I asked.

He nodded and stood.

"Of course. I was getting rather bored with you," he pointed out.

I fumed silently and in took deep breath. I smiled the cheesiest smile I could muster up and bowed slightly. He stepped back from the blinding light. Heh. I shrugged and led him to the door.

"Have a nice day. I hope to see you again soon," I said dripping with sarcasm.

He shrugged and walked off like it didn't really matter. I sighed and sat on the couch silently counting the time until club hours were over. Thankfully, he was my last customer for the day so I just kicked back. The twins walked over curiously. They scanned my little area and then looked at me.

"What happened to your other customer? I saw him come in and then left just as quickly," questioned Kaoru.

I sighed and decided it was best to keep that all hush hush.

"Well, let's just say that we got off on the wrong foot," I explained cryptically.

They sat down beside me.

"Did he say something to you?" asked Hikaru with a hint of disbelief.

I took a hold of some of the fabric of my dress and tightened my grip on it as I felt myself tense. I glanced up trying to keep out all emotion to prevent the twins from trying to go after Yuichi.

"He just grew tired of me and left," I commented blandly.

Hikaru grimaced with Kaoru looking shocked.

"WHAT?! Why would he request you if he was just going to leave like that?" asked the twins in unison.

I shrugged while glancing out the window. I gasped as I pressed my face close to the window. Looking up at me I realized it was **him**. Ryan. I took a hold of the curtains and slid them shut. I pressed my back to the window in fear.

"Maybe he was dared to come or something," I pointed out.

Kaoru looked at me rather suspiciously while Hikaru seemed to believe me. There was another matter that seemed to bother them. They leaned close to study my face. Hikaru placed a hand on my forehead.

"You okay? You look real pale," surveyed Hikaru.

I blushed slightly and nodded. Kaoru half smiled and looked at me skeptically.

"Why'd you close the blinds?" he asked.

I flicked my gaze away from his honey colored eyes. My mind grasped at straws.

"The day just looked way too gloomy to have the curtains drawn," I blubbered.

The two looked at me with confusion.

"What are you talking about? Today's weather is like in the sixties and the sun is blazing out there," Hikaru pointed out.

I sat on the couch and closed my eyes. If he was here, what was going to happen tomorrow if he found my room number?

***

Shivers ran down Sakuya's back as she looked rather nervously out the window. Kaoru had a suspicion that there was something going on, while Hikaru thought she was suffering from a cold. Kyoya strolled along to make his rounds and stopped in his tracks. He glanced at the three curiously.

"Shouldn't you three be working?" he asked.

The twins yawned, while Sakuya flinched while looking down. Kyoya made note of it.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

There was something that she wasn't telling them. As usual. Sakuya stood up and gazed sideways at him.

"Is there something you'd like to say?" asked Kyoya.

She nodded.

"Would it be okay to leave early? I'm feeling kind of down since my customer just left. I'll take care of the penalty tomorrow, but I really just want to go home," she explained.

Kaoru frowned slightly as he knew that she was lying. Kyoya looked rather fooled as he agreed and she made her way out the door with her things. She sighed and walked out the door rather fidgety. The twins gazed at her as she entered her car and drove off.

"Liar," whispered Kaoru as the car was out of his vision.

Hikaru looked over at Kaoru curiously.

"True. She looked like she was relieved when we first saw her. But then she started acting like she saw a ghost or something. What do you think made her say something like that?" wondered Hikaru aloud.

Kaoru shook his head. He wasn't too sure himself, but what was evident was that there were a lot of secrets that girl was keeping from them.

"Who knows," he said absently.

The two went back to work with their customers. Haruhi had the tea tray in her hands and slowly walked around with iced tea for the customers. She scanned the room curiously and noted that Sakuya was missing. She set down the tray and distributed the drink with iceberg cold ice which sent a chill down her spine whenever touched with bare hands. She placed a drink on the table near the twins.

"Did Sakuya leave early?" she asked.

The two nodded while looking like they were deep in thought.

"Yup. She was upset that a customer dumped her," explained Hikaru.

Haruhi looked confused.

"That doesn't bother her. I mean, sure there has never been a customer that full out just dumped one of the hosts, but she just really could care less," she pointed out.

The twins looked at her and burst into a fit of laughter. Their customers flinched slightly but smiled and blushed at the unusual display. This was the first time they had actually seen them look genuinely happy.

"So cute~!" the girls cried out.

Haruhi looked at the two like they were crazy.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

The two calmed down and breathed in deeply.

"No. You're just being your usual blunt self. But you know, it is weird that she'd say something like that. We've been thinking about it for a while now. She really didn't even look that hurt. Actually, she looked relieved," explained Kaoru.

Tamaki walked in with his usual princely entrance. He smiled gracefully and happily jogged over towards Sakuya's little corner. With her not in sight, he sighed.

"I missed her," he said rather crestfallen.

Haruhi looked over at him in curiously.

"Why'd you want to see her Tamaki?" questioned Haruhi.

He glanced over to see Hunny still munching on the candy that Sakuya had given him. His eyes teared up.

"She was giving out candy bags and she didn't get one for **me**?" he asked dramatically.

He burst into a fit of tears and went into his corner. Haruhi sighed and placed her hand in her breast pocket. She pulled out a heart covered candy bag with a little paper with a crown. Obviously, Sakuya hadn't forgotten the others. She labeled all the candies and had handed Haruhi the bag to hand over to Tamaki.

"Here. She left this with me to give to you," she informed.

His tear glistening eyes shone. He smiled and took the bag in his hands.

***

A cell phone was whipped out and placed at the ear. He wore the Ouran uniform proudly with black sunglasses helping him blend in. (As if that would help any. That just made him stand out more) He had been tracking down Sakuya since that afternoon. He knew if there was going to be any information to help both parties, that it would take a while. He thought back at his actions and decided that it was a bad idea to walk into a foreign place head on. A strong feeling made him decide that his next move would need more intricate and meticulous thinking. He smirked.

"Hello, Boss? Yeah. She's on her way home. Hm? Any progress? Nope. She's tough to crack," he concluded.

He cringed at the sound of a deep male voice scolding him. Sighing boredly, he waited patiently for his ill tempered boss to calm his nerves. An annoyed expression flickered through his face as he listened.

"Yes. I know. But these things take time. I'll call you as soon as there is any slight change," the young man explained.

He snapped his phone shut and walked back into his car and drove off.

***

I arrived to my house with a pounding skull. What was I going to do about my problem with the others. It seemed that keeping secrets was probably not the best idea, but I had no clue how I was going to explain all the drama to them. As I trotted up the steps, I noticed one of my maids looking at me with concern.

"Are you alright Sakuya-sama? You look rather pale," she noted.

A tightlipped smile graced my face.

"I'll be alright. Thank you for your concern though. Would you be so kind as to give me a painkiller later on though?" I asked.

She nodded with concern and scuttled off to do her usual duties. I arrived to my room and slipped out of my shoes and uniform. The blinding light of the sun made me flinch as I closed the curtains. Why couldn't the day be cloudy? I sat only wearing some cut out shorts and a tank top. My usual get up for after school. Music filled the room as the sound of piano eerily played downstairs. Could it have been one of the maids? I crept out of the room and down the stair in time to see a young man with dark colored hair. He was playing a rather dark tune as I came from behind. Curiously, I sat on the steps while listening to the chilling music. The last note was hit and his voice slammed into my face. (Figuratively)

"Can I help you?" he asked.

I stood up in confusion. How did he know I was behind him? He slowly turned around and my eyes widened. What in the world was **he **doing here? Yuichi Nogi sat at the piano looking at me with his cocky looking smile.

"What are you doing at my house?!" I cried out in surprise.

He smirked. I could tell that genetics were quite similar if I compared Yuichi and Ryan's ways. That smile especially. He flickered his gaze around the room.

"Your father must have some rather bland taste," he noted.

My body shook and cheeks were beginning to become tinted pink. Frustrating as he may be, I knew there was something up with his visit.

"You have no right to critique my father's taste! Although I must agree with you on that subject. But that's not important. How did you get here and why have you come?" I asked.

Yuichi surveyed the grand piano. There was a dark sheen glossing the unused musical instrument. It had been almost six years since this was last touched. Drooping eyes and a grim line painted the face with pure emotion.

"I have come to speak with your father," he finally answered.

A soft breeze entered the window and the drapes fluttered peacefully near the piano. I never remembered having a window open and I certainly didn't hear the doorbell or anyone knock. Was it possible that he had entered the open window? I shook my head. Of course not. I mean, would a rich kid really need to sneak into a house? Judging from the Ouran students, they seemed to avoid labor as much as possible.

"What business do you have with him?" I questioned suspiciously.

He shrugged nonchalantly and glanced at the window.

"I'm not sure whether that's any of your business," he pointed out.

A growl was itching to leave my lips, but instead I in took a deep breath. I looked back up at him with my hair dancing softly behind me and an involuntary shiver made me decide it was time to close the window. Cautiously, I passed Yuichi and slammed the window shut. Deciding that this was no longer my business, I walked towards the stairs. There was no point for me to make an even bigger deal with this supposed conversation my father needed to have with him. I turned away from him and was about to make my way up the stairs when he said something that made me stop in my tracks.

"Your intellectuality is dim, but I must admit that the outer shell work is quite remarkable," he remarked as he eyed me.

The comment although seemed hard to comprehend, still made chills run down my back. I was sure I was going to regret what I was about to say, but curiosity got the best of me.

"Could you please rephrase that without the whole cryptic outer shell comment?" I asked.

He face palmed and made me feel like an idiot again, but glanced at me sideways with a slight smirk.

"As you wish. I'll try to dumb down the language so that even a chimpanzee may be able to understand," he remarked.

I huffed and felt my blood pulsate with pure rage. I fought to restrain myself. He was way worse than the club members, that's for sure. Wait, I take that back. The guys would never go as far and insult my intelligence. Not even Kyoya. I was sure that Yuichi had no social graces for the common people.

"Well?" I asked waiting patiently.

A smirk played on his lips and then flickered to one of seriousness.

"Sexy legs," he spouted out of place.

AHHH!!! I reeled back in writhing embarrassment. How could he say such things?! He might have a calm exterior, but this guy was definitely dangerous. I backed away. Saying such things without feeling the slight bit embarrassed actually surprised me. They're just shorts and they aren't even that short! I turned and ran up the stairs.

"Don't ever come back!" I cried out.

I heard a distinct chuckling and the sound of his shoes tapping on the hard wood floor. Arriving at my room, I took the precaution to lock the door. Who knows what was running through that warped man's mind. I sat on my bed and began to work on my homework while my thoughts drifted away from what was to come tomorrow.

***

Ryan strolled into the office wearing a pair of faded jeans and dark blue shirt with the first few buttons unfastened. His dark shades protected him from the overbearingly colorful room. A bright blood red color stained the walls. Nonchalantly, he glanced at the various plaques hung up around the room. A stout woman with a bob cut hairstyle adjusted her glasses and glanced over at him.

"May I help you young man?" she drawled.

He shrugged boredly to fit his bad boy persona.

"I was told to come here for some placement test," he explained rather annoyed as if this was a waste of his precious time.

The woman nodded cautiously and handed him a stack of booklets. Deep in her mind, she had the feeling that he would end up in a D classroom. Most of the wealthy yet troublesome students were placed there either due to lack of intelligence or to isolate them from messing with the proper ways of the Ouran students.

"You have four hours," she informed.

Ryan sighed heavily and got to work with a lead pencil in hand. His scores wouldn't matter. A certain someone high up would make sure that he'd get into Sakuya's classroom. A small smirk formed on his pale lips. This was going to be a snap.

"Just you wait Sakuya. I'm going to make you wish you never turned me down," he thought.

A dark shadow loomed in the office and the stout woman shivered while dark clouds began to cover the beautiful sunshine.

***

Hunny and Mori sat quietly next to each other as the other host members had already left.

"Something is the matter with Saa-chan. She looked like she saw a ghost," recalled Hunny.

Mori nodded silently and glanced at the clouds. The sure sign of trouble brewing.

"Its going to start raining soon," he said quietly.

Hunny agreed quietly and the two walked out of the deserted club room. The empty hallways creaked slightly as they made their way down the stairs when they heard a rather familiar voice inside the attendance office. Quietly, the two inched closer to see who it could be. Hunny opened the door a smidge in order to hear the suspicious conversation. It might be a violation of privacy, but it was with good cause. A chuckle escaped a young man's voice.

"Heh. Not a problem. Everything is going as planned. So, you say she's in Class 1-A? Perfect. Sakuya is in for a shock when she finds that her past is catching back up with her. Yeah, I know. Don't worry. I won't mess up **this** time," the young man noted.

Hunny gasped. That was Ryan's voice. Sure they had only met him briefly, so it was pretty simple to figure out. When Ryan first showed up, Hunny had a real bad feeling about him. Especially since he arrived with Mori just around the time Ryan said that he never gave up on things that interested him. It was also around the time that the two felt that Sakuya was keeping secrets from them. No girl would call an obsessive guy a **friend**. They wouldn't even be on the acquaintance level. Hunny backed up and Mori followed behind him as they walked away as quietly as possible. Hunny had a dilemma. He could either tell the others or keep it a secret. He had a feeling that Sakuya didn't want this to come to light.

"What should we do Takashi?" asked Hunny.

Mori looked down with worry on his usually stoic face.

"We wait. But, if there is any sort of implication that he is trying to harm her tomorrow at school, we act," concluded Mori.

Hunny nodded and the two treaded out of the empty corridors of Ouran. Unknown to the two seniors, Ryan's head had popped out in time to hear the Amazon talk about taking action. He scowled at the back of their heads. He wasn't too worried about the shrimp as much. He knew that the little guy was weak. (Far from the truth) His plot would **not** be jeopardized. The only real change was his tactic to get her alone.

***

Walking into the classroom, I was prepared for the worst. My gut was telling me he was going to make an appearance today. I was here to put that to a stop before any of the others caught on to my troubled past. Glancing at the wall and taking a deep breath, I opened the door and walked in to find Ryan Ackerman sitting on my desk. The students glanced over at me and whispered towards one another. I felt frozen in place as he idly walked over with the same stupid smirk his cousin had used on me the day before. Shivers ran down my back and our eyes locked. His icy blue eyes pierced like sharp icicles. I averted my gaze and willed myself to move forward. I scanned the room and relief flooded my body when I realized that Haruhi, Hikaru and Kaoru were nowhere to be seen. Kuragano stepped in and awkwardly decided to introduce herself to the obvious foreigner. She cleared her throat and bowed slightly.

"Ah,** G-good morning**," she stuttered in her strained English.

He flickered his light orbs and focused on the flustered girl. He smirked and held up his hand in a slight wave.

"What's up?" he asked in fluent Japanese.

My eyes widened. That jerk! All this time I thought he didn't understand a speck of Japanese and he turns out to be a professional?! He let me believe I could keep my guard and his stupid mouth from saying anything to the others. I was a fool. My eyes blazed. The people around me nodded at his skill and like that, he was accepted. The guys encircled him and chatted up about his origins. The girls giggled at his handsome features and huddled in a small clique' to talk about how hot Ryan was with his bad boy attitude. I gritted my teeth together and tackled through the guys to get to Ryan. As painful as it was, I somehow got through. Without hesitation, I clasped my hand onto Ryan's collar and dragged him towards the nearest exit and slammed the door behind me. I spun around to face him and grimaced. He looked rather amused, but not all that uncomfortable at my intense gaze.

"Why are you...here?" I questioned slowly.

He crossed his arms and cocked his head while widening his eyes implying he was oblivious.

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

My brows furrowed in anger and my hands were balled up in tight fists.

"You know very well what I mean," I accused.

***

Laughter and fooling around took place through the halls of Ouran as honey eyed twins and dark brown haired Haruhi walked silently next to them. She really didn't get how those two could be so chipper this early in the morning. Rounding the corner, Haruhi noticed a petite girl and a foreign looking guy in a corner bickering near one of the doors that led to Class 1-A. She entered ahead of the twins through the other door and noticed that half the class was huddled near the door that overlooked the couple.

"What are you guys doing?" she questioned.

The class jumped in surprise and turned to look at her guiltily.

"There's this new guy that just transferred in and he is sooo hot! But what's his relationship with Sakuya? I mean, she just sort of dragged him out the door," a girl explained.

The moment her name was uttered, Kaoru and Hikaru entered the class. Kaoru flinched as Hikaru looked rather annoyed, he walked over and crossed his arms.

"Oh really? So, who is this **guy** which you speak of?" asked Hikaru dripping with jealously.

Quietly, Kaoru backed up out of the room and pressed his back in order to camouflage out of the bickering couple's vision.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" asked an exasperated Sakuya.

Kaoru tensed as he heard a cool male voice.

"Well, why should I? We belong together," he insisted.

She sighed.

"We never have," she replied.

Kaoru leaned closer and felt slightly annoyed with this mysterious person. Kaoru shuffled closer, but didn't expect the door to slam harshly. The gasps erupted from both parties.

"You know that Amazon and Shrimp you showed to me last time? I'm pretty sure you never told them the **real** story about how we met or your previous lifestyle. It would be so **devastating** if it were to just **slip** and-" he began.

Sakuya shifted uneasily.

"Stop. I know. If you want to talk about this, we'll do this outside of school," she said in defeat.

Kaoru flinched when he heard a chuckle rumble.

"Good. There's a small cafe' near the school that I saw on my way here. Why not go there?" he asked.

Sakuya nodded in defeat and the two began walking towards Kaoru's direction. With great ninja skills, Kaoru made his way quietly back into the classroom. He felt proud to realize he inherited his father's skills. Kaoru sat in his seat and glanced over to see a red faced Hikaru. Haruhi sighed heavily and sat quietly while waiting for the teacher to arrive. The room fell silent as Sakuya and Ryan entered the room. The male in question wore a smirk of victory, while Sakuya had a face of defeat and depression. She sat with the twins and Haruhi with her head hung low. Her shoulders sagged and she sighed heavily. Hikaru glared over at the "boyfriend" and looked over at Sakuya curiously.

"You okay?" asked Hikaru.

She glanced over with quiet desperation.

"I...I'm okay," she choked out.

Definitely not okay. Haruhi looked at her curiously.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Sakuya broke eye contact and nodded. The sure sign she was fibbing. Ryan breezed by and placed a hand on her desk while leaning forward to have his lips securely next to her ears. He covered his mouth to the side to keep the others from reading his lips and whispered into her ear. Her eyes widened and she pulled back in alarm. The sound of chair scraping floor resounded as Hikaru got up abruptly from his chair and had a cherry colored complexion.

"What the Hell?!" he cried out.

Everyone flinched in alarm. Kaoru sighed. He knew his brother could never control his temper that well. Standing up, he restrained his elder brother from harming the new student.

***

In class 2-A, Tamaki and Kyoya were outside the classroom wooing the girls which surrounded the two. A small group of first year boys walked by.

"Hey, did you hear that Hikaru went ballistic when he found out the new kid had some relationship going with Sakuya?" asked one boy.

The other agreed.

"Sakamoto told me that Sakuya was so mortified that she went to the Nurse's office," informed the other.

Kyoya looked up around the time the boy talked about a new kid, which in his translation meant it was a guy who was into Sakuya. Like there wasn't enough guys. It was very clear though that Sakuya was oblivious to most of these harboring feelings. He sighed and Tamaki, on cue ran out of the class to see how his beloved "daughter" was doing. Kyoya slowly walked behind him. His mind was shrouded with thoughts of his next action. Arriving at the Nurse's office, it dawned on him that this was her third time at the office since she transferred. He wondered if maybe she had some sort of health issue. The second year Prince and dark lord entered the room and found Sakuya sitting on the chair looking rather spaced out. Her eyes were glassy and a blank look was planted on her face. Tamaki walked over cautiously and sat down next to her.

"Sakuya-chan? Are you alright?" asked Tamaki timidly.

She looked over with a pained expression, but slowly she looked up and managed a small smile as the glassiness faded.

"Yes. I'm alright. Sorry for worrying you guys. I just needed to get away from the issue. I couldn't really handle it," she explained.

Kyoya looked at her in amusement.

"So, you're running away from the problem? Sounds cowardly, if you ask me," commented Kyoya.

Her head snapped to look at him with malice.

"Oh really? What would you do in my situation if there were a couple of girls practically scratching their eyes out?" she questioned.

He looked at her with surprise.

"Did that mean that her ex boyfriend and Hikaru were involved in some sort of fight?" wondered Kyoya.

Tamaki sat next to her and patted her hand.

"Its alright Sakuya-chan. But, if you're ever in trouble again, just know that we're here to help," explained Tamaki.

Sakuya agreed and actually looked a lot better. She rose from the chair and the three made their way back to her classroom. Kyoya glanced at Sakuya curiously.

"So, did your boyfriend get into a fight with the twins or something?" asked Kyoya.

She stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned to face Kyoya. She had a weary look on her face, but she managed to look irritated.

"He is **not **my boyfriend. He never was and never will!" she cried out.

She ran off towards a random direction with Tamaki running after her. He sighed heavily. It looked like he made a major mistake in saying something like that. He slowly walked over just to take a peek at the guy that seemed to have upset Sakuya.

***

My face burned with frustration. I just couldn't believe that Kyoya would say such a thing! I knew I was overreacting, but Ryan was someone that really caused me stress. I mean, I know Kyoya had no idea, but I just couldn't help myself. I pressed my back to the wall as I kneeled on the ground. My pounding heart and heavy breathing was slowing down, but I felt my eyes watering. I blinked as I tried to keep the tears at bay. I shuddered as the thoughts of the past flooded my mind. It was my fault after all. If only I wasn't so selfish. If only I could have just held my tongue. But I didn't and I ran. Ryan coming back into my life was a big mistake. The few months that I had tried my hardest in keeping my secrets were sure to come crashing down any minute. I buried my face in my hands and tried my hardest to calm down. I was, after all, going to have to meet that jerk later. I just hoped no suspicion would arise around the club members. Slowly, I rose from the ground and dusted imaginary dirt from my dress. Upon entering the classroom, the first thing I saw was Hikaru with a bruised arm. He and Ryan had gotten into a physical fight, but the kids broke it up before any of the teachers got a chance to intervene and probably would have given the two detention. I sighed as the scene replayed in my mind.

Flashback...

Ryan looked over his shoulder disdainfully with his icy blue eyes at Hikaru.

"What's **your** problem? Getting all pissy at me when she isn't even your **girlfriend**. You should **butt out** of your classmate's **business**," snarled Ryan.

My eyes practically popped from my eye sockets from shock. How could he say something like that? Hikaru growled viciously and lunged towards him as he broke free from Kaoru's grasp. The crowd gasped in surprised. No! Why now of all times does this have to happen? Hikaru snapped his fist and smashed it on the opposite wall. Hikaru winced and scrunched up his face in pain. Ryan had easily dodged the attack and took the forward as an invitation. Positioning himself with gracefulness and awaiting the next attack. Hikaru got up and assessed the situation while slowly coming back towards Ryan.

"What gives you the right to tell me off? I bet you and her were never together in the first place!" he screamed.

I nodded to myself while the rest still kept their attention on the on going drama. Ryan looked at him with an arched brow and chuckled.

"You're just stalling now. From the way you moved, I bet you don't even know the first elements of **fighting.** Typical wimpy rich boy. I bet your mom used to dress you up as a girl when you were younger," he probed.

That made Hikaru snap and once more ran at him. He was like a boar on a rampage. Not looking or controlling his speed and blindly going at the skilled hunter. I spun to take a look at Kaoru who's expression was unreadable. I tugged on his sleeve to catch his attention.

"Aren't you going to stop him? He's going to get hurt if he continues to just charge at him. Ryan may look weak, but he's taken at least four years of judo!" I rambled.

He looked down at me with a helpless look on his face. He placed his hands on my shoulders and sighed.

"I'm not sure I can. Hikaru's temper is the hardest to cool. Especially if it involves some sort of insult from a conceited guy," he explained.

I groaned in exasperation. What was I supposed to do? I glanced over to see Hikaru slammed on his right arm against the hard wall. Ryan looked over smugly and confidently while looking down on Hikaru as if he were a toddler. Not one scratch had befallen on Ryan, while Hikaru looked like he was going to have a few bruises lacerating his back and arms. I could no longer bear to watch. I marched forward while shrugging off Kaoru's hands. Breathing deeply, I squeezed through and ended up in between Hikaru and Ryan. I glared at the two of them and noticed Hikaru's heavy breathing.

"That's enough you two! Stop fighting or someone is seriously going to get hurt," I warned.

Ryan smirked and took a hold of my right hand. Tugging with great force, he threw me off balance and sent me colliding into his chest. His strong arms snaked around my waist as he pulled me close and tightened his grip so much that it made me cry out. He looked over his shoulder at Hikaru.

"That someone would be you. So what are you going to do about it?" mocked Ryan.

I tried wriggling free of his grasp by placing my hands on his chest and leaning back, but it seemed to be getting me nowhere.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me!" I squealed.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Hikaru was no longer going to be able to be pacified. Desperately trying to get free, I found my chance as I kneed Ryan right where it counted. He keeled over and groaned loudly. I pulled away in time and looked down at him. He lifted his head slightly and chuckled softly. There was a sort of gleam in his eyes. I shuddered.

"Feisty as ever. Just the way I like 'em," he noted.

Before Hikaru could react, the strongest guy in our class pulled the angered teen away and took him outside. The room was silent as everyone's attention was directed at me. My face flushed and I placed a hand on my forehead. Haruhi looked over at me with wonder. Meekly I walked towards the door, but turned back my attention towards the others.

"If you'll need me, I'll be in the Nurse's office," I explained.

Thus I left and headed to the only place where I actually felt safe.

End Flashback

The room fell silent as I noticed Kyoya was waiting patiently at the front of the class. I scanned the room curiously and wondered exactly where the teacher had gone.

"Kyoya-senpai? What are you doing here?" I asked skeptically.

My heart swelled. Why did he have to bring that up? I pressed my

He glanced over at Hikaru and at the other club members.

"I came to check up on you guys. Oh, and by the way, have you by chance seen Tamaki? He was chasing after you and then he just disappeared," surveyed Kyoya.

I shrugged but knew Tamaki would eventually look inside the classroom. I sat in my usual seat next to Haruhi and Kaoru. I sighed as I knew that suspicions were increasing when I remembered blabbing about Ryan's four years of Judo. They must think we were childhood friends or something! Ah damn. I couldn't wait for school to end. There I could talk to the catalyst without worrying about others overhearing us. I had a fairly good idea of what he was going to talk about though. I glanced to my right to notice that Ryan was staring very intently at me. It was as if I never kneed him. Yeah, harsh. But I was getting sick of his stupid ways. I turned away and decided then and there I would never look at him ever again during class.

***

Tamaki walked around in a frenzy as he tried to keep up with Sakuya. He had lost sight of her when he rounded the corner and realized that she had just vanished. Sullenly, he walked towards his classroom as the bell was about to ring. He entered his classroom and sat in his seat. A small figure smiled and jumped on his back.

"Hiya Tama-chan!" squealed Hunny.

Tamaki smiled and looked at the two with confusion.

"Hi there Hunny, Mori. What brings you two to class 2-A?" asked Tamaki.

Mori sat in Kyoya's chair quietly as Hunny sat on the desk. The girls in the class giggled and waved at the third years.

"We wanted to see how you guys were since there was a meeting for our sensei and we had a free period," explained Hunny.

Tamaki nodded, but in the midst of what Hunny said, he felt that there was more to this visit than intended.

"Really? So, is there some other reason besides that?" he wondered out loud.

Hunny flinched. Of course there was more. But what could he say? He smiled half heartedly and knew that he had to leave before he blurted out any information.

"Oh!! Yeah...I heard that a new pastry shop opened up a block away from the school and I was wondering if you'd like to check it out," supplied Hunny.

Tamaki smiled and felt complete.

"That's a great idea! Then Sakuya-chan and Kyoya can reconcile. It seems that he upset her with talk of a boyfriend," explained Tamaki.

Hunny nodded and took his leave with Mori trailing behind him. After passing the door, the worried expression flickered through the 3rd year teens. They knew that Ryan was starting to cause trouble. Hunny wasn't to sure what the

next move was, but decided that Kaoru would have an idea on what was going on.

***

Kyoya took a good look at the supposed ex boyfriend that had upset Sakuya so much. He wasn't too sure on the young man's name, but it didn't take that long to see it was a foreign born student with the palest of blue eyes. He noted that Sakuya seemed rather nervous and frightened whenever she glanced over and looked at him. There was a great chance that he was the key to the secrets that Sakuya always seemed to lock up deep in her heart. The thought brought on jealously into his mind. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a bigger gap was formed between him and Sakuya. He had always thought he knew more about her than any of the other club members as he had been at her father's party and the fact he was blackmailing her from the incident at the festival back in January. Kyoya glanced at the clock and left. He knew that some sort of scheme would be arranged by one of the club members at any moment. There he would finally find the origins of the mysterious Sakuya. The classroom watched quietly as their senpai left the room. Haruhi was rather surprised.

"Weird. Its pretty unusual for Kyoya to arrive to class late and waste his time here," commented Haruhi.

Hikaru glowered quietly with Kaoru glancing over at Sakuya. She looked okay, but he knew that she was probably in turmoil. He was pretty sure what cafe' Ryan was talking about and decided it best to follow them. Deep inside, he felt this person was rather dangerous.

"He didn't even break a sweat when he flung Hikaru against the wall," noted Kaoru to himself.

He shivered at the thought and closed his eyes. He knew he would need the help of the others if he were to pull this off.

***

After Class...

The day ended rather quickly and I knew that if I were to get out of club duties, I would have to come up with some lie. Not something I really looked forward to. I sighed and turned to look at my friends. Haruhi glanced at me curiously.

"Hey Sakuya. What's up?" she asked.

I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut. This was something I had to do now. I opened my eyes and sighed.

"Uhm, Haruhi? Do you think you could tell Tamaki-senpai that I'm sorry I missed the club duties and that I had some family matters I had to attend to. I really didn't expect to miss another meeting, but this is rather urgent," I declared.

She nodded looking at me with curiosity. It was as if she knew that I wasn't telling the entire truth.

"Okay. But don't you think it would be best if you told them yourself? I mean, you're probably going to have a depressed Tamaki on your hands and an angered Kyoya," noted Haruhi.

I bit my lip. I knew this from the beginning and what I was doing probably looked like I was just being selfish. No...I am selfish. Standing up, I nodded and left without a word. Rounding the corner, I slammed right into a wall. Wait...wall? My eyes trailed above me as I came face to face with a sea of guys blocking my escape. The guys looked over at me with deception.

"You're skipping out on hosting? But I was scheduled to see you today," whined a dark haired 2nd year.

I mustered up a sweet smile and tilted my head. The dark haired guy blushed.

"Forgive me. I would have stayed if it wasn't for family matters. I know I shouldn't be bringing up troublesome things that will distract me," I apologized.

The entire group of guys looked away guiltily. They merged out of the way and dispersed. Sighing, entered my car which was waiting outside. Silently, I was mulling over the idea of wearing a disguise just in case I met with anyone that would recognize me. The mansion came into view as the car made a slow and steady stop in front of the gates. Once

inside, I entered my room and raided my closet for something that would look okay to wear out.

***

Hikaru burst through the club doors enraged. Haruhi sighed as she trailed behind him. Hunny looked up curiously but had a pretty good idea what was the matter with him. Kaoru walked in with a strained look on his face and sat down on a chair as a meeting was about to commence.

"What's wrong with Hikaru?" asked Hunny.

Haruhi decided it was best to say what was the matter.

"He's upset that Sakuya left early since he didn't have time to hang out," she explained.

Hikaru sat in a corner and pouted, while Kaoru bit his lip trying to think of when the best time would be for him to spill his guts. Hunny looked around in concern with Mori following his lead.

"Where's Sakuya?" asked Mori with a strain in his voice.

Before Haruhi even had to time to answer, Tamaki and Kyoya burst through the door. He smiled broadly and scanned the area as if he had the anticipation of seeing Sakuya. Immediately, his face fell.

"Why isn't Sakuya-chan here?" he questioned.

Haruhi sighed.

"She said she wouldn't come because she had to meet up with some kind of family emergency," explained Haruhi.

Kyoya looked over curiously, but deep inside, he was just as pissed as Hikaru. Tamaki slumped on his chair and buried his face in his arms. Kaoru bit his lip and knew that it was time to tell everyone the news.

"You guys. I've got a confession to make. When Hikaru and Haruhi entered the class, I went back outside and overheard that Sakuya was going to meet up with the new kid," confessed Kaoru.

The room fell silent. Hunny looked up in worry in his clear brown eyes as he held tightly to his stuffed bunny. He knew that there was something going on with Sakuya the minute he found out that Ryan entered the school.

"I have a bad feeling about Ryan," whispered Hunny.

Mori nodded in agreement. Kyoya's ears perked slightly at Hunny's words.

"What do you mean?" asked Kyoya.

Hunny rubbed his teary eye.

"The first time we met Ryan was at the Christmas party in December. He wasn't very nice," explained Hunny.

Tamaki gasped and looked up curiously from the comfort of his arms.

"Do you mean he was rude to you and Mori?" questioned Haruhi curiously.

He shook his head and looked out the window with a pensive look on his face.

"He was trying to steal Sakuya's first kiss," insisted Hunny.

Hikaru glared and rose from his chair while Kaoru sighed. He rose his fist to the air in passion and looked up to the sky.

"We're not going to let that happen!" he cried out.

Tamaki rose from his chair and nodded vigorously.

"Of course! We must follow her and make sure she is safe from any harm," declared Tamaki.

Everyone huddled up with Haruhi looking rather unimpressed.

"You think maybe we should just leave her alone?" asked Haruhi.

She felt this really wasn't their business. Yet as many knew, her opinion meant nothing to the others.

"Here's the plan," whispered Tamaki.

***

I walked out of the house wearing a black mini skirt with an embroidered black tank top and a black jacket as well as black boots that ran up to my knee caps. My hair was straightened and past my waist in its usual color. A single blue rose clipped on the top right part of my hair. No one would ever expect me to wear something like this. I entered the car and closed the door behind me. My driver glanced back at me patiently.

"Where to Miss?" he asked.

I inhaled and exhaled once in preparation of my next destination.

"Kuro Neko Cafe'," I whispered.

He nodded and the journey to my so called death awaited. After half an hour of driving, I arrived to a cafe that had a Victorian feel as gargoyles were set on either side of the rather large looking cafe. There were blood red and white blue sprayed roses planted near the entrance. I shivered slightly. This was definitely not a place where I'd ever go of my own accord. It had a creepy feel as practically everything was black or blood red. I was grateful that the sun was still up and that there were illuminated lights inside. I entered the cafe where a group of heavily cloaked people had control of a rather large table. Must be in an occult or something. I took my seat on one of the blood red seats with a design of spider webs etched onto the bottom part of the chair. The table was made of a black granite and a small vase was

placed there with a dead looking rose sticking out from it.

"Way to pick a creepy place to meet," I mumbled.

I glanced over at the occult table and a noticed one of them heading my way. He wore a hooded cloak with his pale skin contrasting with the midnight colored hair. His eyes were a piercing dark brown and on his right hand, he wore a freaky looking cat puppet. On his lips, he carried an eerily cheerful smile. He stopped at my table and bowed slightly.

"Good evening miss. Berzenoff couldn't help noticing you looked lonely. Would you like to join our group?" asked the young man.

I scrutinized slightly and heard the little voice in my head repeating the words," Don't talk to strangers." My gut feeling though, didn't portray this guy as being harmful. I gazed up at his dark eyes and stood.

"I'm sorry. I'm actually waiting for someone. Maybe next time," I apologized.

He sat in the chair across from me. There was a knowing look on his face.

"If you'd like to have some tea, please don't hesitate to head to the Black Magic club and take a look at our merchandise while you're there. We sell voodoo dolls and for a limited time, a free tarot card reading for every $25 purchase," he said in a cheerful yet creepy voice.

Huh. For a club president of a creepy occult, he was pretty nice. My lips twitched into a sliver of a smile and I nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied.

He smiled happily and stood up, but bent forward and squinted his eyes to take a closer look at me.

"You are almost the spitting image of the previous priestess of the dark arts. She collected the souls of the dead and used their energy in her spells. But that story is for another day. Well, Berzenoff and I must get going. If you ever come around our club, just ask for Umehito Nekozawa. Until then, I bid you adieu," he babbled as he made his way back to his table.

I nodded and waved slightly. I sat back down and sighed in relief that he never asked my name. I had never seen him before, but I had a feeling he went to Ouran. I guess maybe the disguise worked. I smiled and sat down and waited patiently until **he** arrived. My mood plummeted when the door opened and Ryan walked in and scanned the area. I placed both my hands on my lap and clasped them together with my head hung low. I shifted my gaze and my eyes locked on unintentionally to his icy orbs. He smirked and took a seat in the chair across from me. He looked me up and down and nodded.

"Undeniably the hottest thing you've worn," he commented.

***

He sat in a secluded spot and kept a tape recorder close to the table consisting of a couple. He had promised his boss that nothing would stop him from keeping an eye on his daughter. Unbeknownst to his stalkee, he had set up the human wall in order to coax out information on Sakuya Mazaki. Not only that, but he had even followed her to her house. He was the perfect spy as she had no clue that there was someone following her. He was rather surprised that her **friends** were left in the dark of her past. Although, most people would rather keep their past hidden to have the others not think of them as a bad person or something. He smirked slightly as he adjusted his shades and buried his face in one of the menus. Abruptly, his cell phone buzzed. He had a text message. Flipping open his cell, he checked his messages and grimaced. It was his boss. It was the typical message of wanting to know where he was and what his daughter was doing. Quickly he thumbed his message and pressed send. A young woman wearing cat ears and a maid outfit walked up to his table with a notepad.

"Have you decided yet master?" she asked gloomily.

He scanned the menu nodded.

"Just bring me a black coffee and a bloody blueberry muffin," he ordered.

The waitress bowed and took her leave. He sat back and glanced out the window where six suspicious looking figures entered the creepy cafe'. His eyes widened in surprise. Although they were heavily disguised, he knew that they were the Host Club members.

***

Haruhi groaned at the supposed **great plan**. She crossed her arms and stared at her friends.

"I'm beginning to feel like most of your plans always seem to point towards dressing up," recalled Haruhi.

Tamaki walked out of the dressing room wearing some dark jeans and a long sleeved black button shirt. A silver cross chain necklace rested on his neck. A temporary coat of black hair dye was lathered all over Tamaki's light colored hair. The twins glanced at each other in awe. They were speechless.

"Usually Milord's disguises are pretty lame, but this time it might actually work," commented Hikaru.

Kaoru agreed and looked at the other costumes set out for them to wear. All of them consisted of the color black.

"Yeah. Strangely, it really suits him. He could make a great emo," complimented Kaoru.

Haruhi glanced at the gothic Lolita outfit set out for her. It was ultra frilly with a headband and a black rose on the right temple. She scrutinized at the sight and glanced over at Tamaki with her trade mark 'you've got to be kidding' roll of the eye.

"You expect me to wear something like this? Wouldn't this just capture more attention?" questioned Haruhi.

Kyoya shook his head as he walked over with a flyer in his hand.

"Don't tell me you've never **heard** or **seen** Kuro Neko Cafe'. The whole place **screams **Goth," explained Hikaru.

Kyoya placed the flyer on the table and on it was the creepy cafe where a few black cat maids sat on the steps where odd colored roses were planted. After much talk, everyone was clad in black and Haruhi donned on the frilly looking gothic Lolita outfit. The seven piled into two cars and drove off towards the strange cafe'. Upon arriving, it was time to split up to draw in less attention. Tamaki looked over Haruhi happily.

"I volunteer Haruhi and myself as the lovey dovey couple," called out a giddy Tamaki.

Kyoya sighed. The typical Tamaki reaction.

"What are **we** supposed to be then?" questioned Hikaru.

He was dressed in a rather simple black t-shirt and black leather pants with a spiky like belt. On his wrist, a similar spike bracelet. His hair was spiked up and sprayed with temporary black dye spray. Kaoru wore some glasses with the school uniform underneath excluding the coat and a hooded cloak similar to the black magic club. Not the most flattering of things Kaoru had worn, but it was for a good cause.

"I've got a better idea. Why don't we all just sit together," suggested Kyoya.

The others looked at him with confusion.

"Won't that just look weird? I mean we're not exactly dressed like people we'd actually hang out with," noted Haruhi.

Emo, punk, gothic Lolita, and occult members were the categories that each one fell into. Kaoru sighed.

"Okay. How about Tamaki and Hikaru take the table on the right, while Haruhi, Mori and Hunny take the left table. Kyoya and I will take the middle," Kaoru concluded.

Tamaki sulked, but knew it was for the best. He slowly made his way to the table and slumped with an annoyed Hikaru trailing behind him. Hunny, dressed in a long sleeved black dress with lace sleeves and a his wig was in a long curly ponytail. A black chocker with a miniscule fake silver dagger dangling from it securely on his neck. Mori wore a long silk black shirt and black pants. Plain and causing the least attention. Hunny pulled on Haruhi's hand as Mori followed close behind. Everyone was in place and tried their best to look like they belonged. Kaoru scanned the cafe' until his eyes fell upon the table where a familiar looking young woman sat with the conceited foreigner. Looking closer, he realized it was Sakuya in disguise. He flipped out his cell phone and texted the others with a quick sentence. Simultaneously, they checked the text and their gaze traveled to a secluded area in the corner. Gratefully, each were in a safe distance of overhearing their conversation. All that was left was to wait and see what the meeting was about in the first place.

***

I sighed and protectively twisted my chair the other way. He was just not someone to be trifled with. With his elbows on the table and his hands cupping his head, he looked at me with intense hungry eyes. I averted his gaze and instead placed my attention on the menu in front of me. All of the foods had some gruesome names though. It was a wonder how these people even had so many customers. But who was I to judge?

"Well, now that we're alone, why don't we start off with why are you here?" I questioned.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Always comes down to business. Why can't we just enjoy ourselves and talk about this after lunch," he suggested.

I shook my head. I would not spend more time than needed with him. Especially since that incident that changed my life forever.

"I'm sorry but no. I accepted your offer and came here. Now its time for you to fulfill your side of the bargain," I encouraged.

He sighed and called for the waitress. She arrived dressed in a maid outfit and furry black cat ears. As before, definitely a weird place to have a cup of tea or something.

"May I take your order master?" she questioned.

He smirked and nodded.

"I'll have a black coffee," he ordered.

She looked at him oddly, but shook her head to clear her mind. She nodded at his order and looked over at me in anticipation.

"I'll have a hot chocolate," I informed.

She bowed slightly and left. He chuckled. I looked up in curiosity.

"What?" I asked indignantly.

Ryan shifted his hand from his chin and slowly crept over to my side and took a hold of my hand. He caressed my hand with his thumb and tilted his head slightly.

"You haven't changed a bit. I remember when we were kids that you used to always ask for the same thing," he surveyed.

I turned away and blushed with my arms crossed as I slipped my hand from his grasp. He just chuckled once more.

"Geez. Forgive me for not having adult like taste buds. I can't understand what's so delicious about a bitter coffee. I'd much rather prefer sweet over bitter," I explained.

He leaned forward in his chair and placed his hand on my cheek as he guided my head to look forward and directly at him. His icy blue eyes looked deeply into my eyes.

"Reminds me of the old times. You've never liked bitter things. Not even coffee flavored ice cream," he recalled.

I turned my gaze away and pushed away his hand from my cheek. I closed my eyes as my mind drifted to the first time we met. I was six years old and it was my first visit to the US. My parents had come to visit a family friend that was also a potential business partner.

Flashback...

I was dressed in the usual girly pink summer dress with my golden colored hair tied up with ribbons in pigtails and white sandals. It was unbearably hot that day that even sitting under the shade didn't seem to help. Various trees surrounded the large estate. It was sort of like a forest. Dark green grass covered the entire ground with only a sliver of cement set out for parking cars and a trail heading for the only road out of the estate. I was on the porch with beads of sweat dripping from my forehead. I really just wanted to go to the hotel and have the air conditioner cool me off. As I sat quietly and listened to my parents talk to the Ackerman family, I heard a distinct splash coming from the right part of the forest. Sluggishly, I stood up from my seat and took a long sip from the last of my tropical punch juice box. With the little energy I had, I jogged over towards the noise. I knew my parents wouldn't approve me running off from them, but I had always been a curious person. Drawing closer, I heard a high pitched battle cry. I gasped as my mind recalled an old cowboy movie I had watched with my dad the other day.

"Indians!" my mind screamed.

I walked closer and crept quietly as my eyes widened at the crystal clear stream that traveled for miles on end. At least, that's how it felt to me. My body was on auto pilot as I drew closer and ended up near the stream. I cupped my hands and dipped them in the inviting water. It was cool against my blazing and tanning skin. I sighed and leaned my head forward to drink the cool liquid, when a pair of hands from behind wrapped around me and immobilized my arms. I cried out in surprise and spilled the cool water on my dress.

"Mommy! Daddy! Help me!!!" I wailed

Tears tumbled from my rosy cheeks and my heart thudded loudly. Sobs escaped my throat as I thought I was a goner for sure. I trembled and my wails echoed throughout the forest. Immediately, the hands that were securely wrapped around me let go. I turned slowly to see a boy my age clad in a Power Ranger costume. A black ranger mask was set on his face. My eyes widened as I backed away. He walked closer cautiously.

"H-hey. Sorry for scaring you," apologized the boy.

I cringed and when he was just about reaching distance, he outstretched his hand for me to take. I shook my head and clenched my eyes tightly as I shoved him away from me.

"No! Get away!" I screamed.

A splash drenched my face as I opened my eyes and realized that I had inadvertently pushed him into the stream. I gasped as he sputtered and flailed about. He must have not known how to swim! I laid on my stomach and inched as close as I could to the stream and outstretched my hand. He took a hold of it, but in the process, he pulled me in too. I cried out as the two of us flailed about. Water temporarily blinded me as I heard the sound of flip flops. I rubbed the water from my eyes and saw a boy around ten with bright green eyes and pale blonde hair. He looked at the two of us and sighed. He kneeled and crossed his arms.

"You guys do realize all you have to do is get up. I mean, its not even that **deep**," the boy noted.

I stood up and saw the water only reached to about my waist. I pulled up the masked boy and pulled of the mask. Underneath, was a rather cute seven year old boy. His hair was a ultra dark brown color which at the moment was matted down by the water. He had light sky blue eyes that some how reminded me of icicles. Long lashes framed his eyes. While I stood at three feet six inches the boy stood at about three feet eight inches. I coughed slightly as I slowly climbed out of the stream drenched from the tip of my roots to the bottom of my feet. My ribbons had come undone and fell back into the stream. I outstretched my hand to grab it, but they traveled with the stream heading south and out of my reach.

"My ribbons!" I mourned.

They boy jumped back into the water and took a hold of my ribbons as he made his way back to the bank. He sighed and handed me the ribbons and walked out of the water.

"Here," he said in an embarrassed tone.

I looked down at the soggy pink things my mother had taken almost an hour to fix my hair with. Tears dribbled down my cheeks as I hugged the mysterious boy and held him tightly.

"Waah! T-thank you!!! S-sorry I pp-pushed you~!" I hiccupped.

He sighed and began to pet my head.

"S'okay. I understand," he said soothingly.

The blonde kid scratched the back of his head and sighed.

"I'll get one of the adults. It's not sanitary to air dry after jumping into a bacteria infested stream," teased the boy.

I looked up with eyes wide as saucers.

"B-bacteria? What's that? Is it contagious?!" I questioned.

The boy erupted into a fit of laughter. The icy blue eyed boy released me and glanced over at the elder boy with a stern look. They elder boy wiped away a stray tear from his eye and took deep calming breaths.

"Sorry buddy. I couldn't help myself. Your little girlfriend sure is cute. For a little kid, she sure knows some big words. Huh. She's the first kid to know the word contagious yet not know what a bacteria is," noted blondie.

The icy eyed boy blushed slightly and outstretched his hand for me to take.

"Come on. Let's take you back with mom and dad. They'll give us a change of clothes," he explained.

I took his hand and he led me back out of the forest and to the porch where I had been waiting for my parents. Realization hit me as I figured out that he was probably the little play mate my mother was talking about. We entered the living room and the room fell silent. My dad rose from his chair in alarm with the boy's parents not far behind.

"What the hell happened?!" cried my father.

I looked down guiltily. The boy glanced over at me and then looked up at my father.

"We fell," he explained bluntly.

His parents walked over in concern and fiddled with the boy and dithered about the occurrence.

"Are you alright Ryan? You weren't playing around the stream again, were you?" questioned his mother.

He sighed and nodded.

"Sorry Mommy," he said with a quivering lip.

She hugged him tightly and stroked his head. My father kneeled to my level and looked into my eyes.

"Did you fall in as well?" he wondered.

I nodded and shivered. Tears spilled from my eyes.

"Th-the big b-boy s-said that I was c-covered in bb-bacteria!" I wailed.

Everyone turned to Ryan in shock. He shook his head vigorously.

"Not me! It was Alex!" he accused.

The adults looked at me in wonder.

"Is that true? Was it Alex?" asked his father.

I shrugged in confusion.

"Who's Alex? Is he the boy with the yellow hair?" I questioned.

The room burst into good hearted laughter. They nodded and sighed.

"Why don't we get you cleaned up. I have some spare clothing I think will probably fit well on her," noted his mother.

Everyone agreed and she led me away from the others to get dried and changed. After about half an hour of getting clean and putting on a new pair of clothes, I walked out with my hair dried and placed in a high pony tail. I wore what looked like a school uniform what with the pleated skirt and crisp white shirt that carried a bright green ribbon. Ryan's mother squealed with pleasure.

"I didn't expect my doll clothing to fit her so well. Isn't she the sweetest thing? I've always wanted a little girl. Ah, but the baby shop is **closed** for **business** now since a certain **someone** went to get **fixed**," she emphasized.

My eyes were wide with curiosity as I scanned the room for any sign of what I was looking for.

"You guys have a **dog**?" I asked with excitement.

The grown ups laughed nervously. Quietly, the boy I figured was called Ryan entered wearing a similar outfit to what I was wearing. He actually looked pretty cute with his dark brown hair placed in a tiny pony tail. He looked like a prince. I was in the midst of bowing, when I remembered that it was rather strange for a girl to do that here. I curtsied slightly and glanced up.

"How do you do? My name is Sakuya," I greeted formally.

He looked at his mother in wonder and she grinned down at him. Shrugging, he outstretched his hand in an alarming manner. I squealed out in surprise and hid behind my father. He laughed slightly and looked down at me and patted my head.

"Don't be alarmed. That's how you greet people here. Oh and that curtsy would be put to use better if we were in London and visiting the Queen. But this is America sweetie. So go ahead. He won't bite," encouraged my father.

I slowly walked over to him cautiously and closed my eyes as I outstretched my hand. The soft touch of his hand slipped into my own as he shook it firmly. I opened my eyes and saw it was okay. I smiled.

"Ryan Ackerman. Six and a half years old. Kindergarten," he introduced.

I giggled and switched my hands so that I held his left while he held my right. The adults stared in awe and chuckled. As the women clutched their arms together and sighed.

"Awww. Don't they look so cute together?" cooed one of the grown ups.

Everyone agreed. My mother looked closely and smiled. She kneeled low and sized us up. She nodded in approval. Static blurred her face.

Wait, why does she looks so blurry?

"You know, those two would make great children models, don't you agree?" inquired my mother.

I beamed up at her.

"Really Mommy? I can be a model like you?" I asked in amazement.

She chuckled and nodded. I giggled and shifted over as I rested my head on his shoulder and winked while making a peace sign. The room went wild with the adorable display. Ryan blushed slightly and scratched the back of his head.

"I **must** find my camera. This is just too cute for words!" cried out Mrs. Ackerman.

Later that day, Ryan and I sat down on the porch while he ate his mocha flavored ice cream. I crinkled my nose at his choice as I slowly licked my bubble gum flavored ice cream.

"Yucky! I hate coffee. Ice cream should be sweet, not bitter," I noted.

He shrugged and continued eating his ice cream.

"Does it really matter? Ice cream is ice cream no matter what the taste," he explained.

I eyed him as if he were some sort of alien from outer space.

"You're weird," I said bluntly.

He laughed quietly and shook his head. He gazed at me with his icy blue eyes that were filled with warmth. He took one of my sticky hands and held it in his own. He squeezed slightly.

"We're going to be good friends," he said smiling.

End Flashback

heart and looked down. He used to be my best friend in the entire world. But then all of a sudden, he changed. I glanced up and looked at his now cold looking eyes.

"What's with that look?" he asked.

I gave him a pitied look and just shook my head. Our drinks came and I sipped the hot chocolate cautiously. I winced slightly as the warm liquid scalded my sensitive tongue. As I reached for the napkin, my eyes fell upon a faint scar on Ryan's right arm as he had rolled up the sleeve of his crisp new uniform. This was proof of when he changed from such a kind soul to one of pure anger and rebellion.

"I was thinking how much you changed. It was because of that incident, wasn't it?" I inquired.

He looked at me with wide eyes, but then flickered back to his normal cocky composure. The expression told it all. Alex was four years older than Ryan. He was also his big brother. They were always close and as Ryan got older, hung out a lot together. Although I was not in the United States at the time, news traveled fast.

Ryan was only nine years old. It was mid summer and the two were walking around the forest as usual, when these men cloaked in dark suits popped out of nowhere and attempted to kidnap the sons of the wealthy corporate leader also known as Oliver Ackerman. At the time, the elder Ackerman had been taking Judo lessons used one of his moves to make the would be kidnappers quite irritated. They immediately took a hold of Ryan and held a pocket knife with the point dangerously close to the jugular. Ryan struggled to free himself from the others, that the kidnapper dropped his knife which spiraled down and sliced Ryan's forearm which must have cost him excruciating pain. Alex was enraged and blindly went in to tackle the perpetrators. What he didn't expect was one of them to pull a gun. Ryan tried to break free of the kidnapper by biting him, which led the guy to push him off and back hand while having him hit the back of his head on a tree. The last thing he heard was the ring of a gunshot. When he came to, the ambulance had shown up and had hauled him up to get stitches for his arm. As for Alex, I don't have the full details, but he passed away. There of course was implication that he was shot in some lethal area. That's when everything changed. He quit being the usual sweet kid he once was and started acting up against society. I think it might have had to do with the fact that the police never found the ones that brought grief to the Ackerman family. It was now his duty to take over his father's job. This brought on some resentment as that was to go to the eldest son.

I grimaced. It was roughly around the time that I came to visit him after half a year had gone by. I sipped some more of my hot chocolate and stared silently at him.

"I'm sorry. I know it was probably very painful for me to bring that up. I had no right," I whispered.

I glanced over at him and sighed. Would there ever be a remnant of the boy that I had come to almost love? Yes. I admit I once had a crush on him. Although he wasn't my first crush. But that story is for another day. He looked over with a blank face and just nodded. The usual smirk flickered back into his face as he took a swig of his black coffee.

"Why don't you make it up to me?" he questioned.

My eyes widened slightly and then narrowed as I crossed my arms. He leaned forward and his warm coffee breath fanned my face. I stood perfectly still.

***

Hikaru's face was splattered with rage. From his stand point, it looked a lot like Ryan was kissing Sakuya as he had moved closer to her and she didn't seem to be pulling away while Kaoru glanced over feeling hurt. It looked pretty clear that she really must have liked Ryan at some point. Kyoya sipped his coffee while contemplating whether to walk over and accidentally, "spill" the hot liquid on Ryan's crisp new pants. It was a thought that made him chuckle quietly. As for Hunny, he was concerned with Sakuya's well being and worried of what Ryan would do next. Haruhi glanced over and sighed.

"Maybe you jumped to conclusions. If you asked me, I'd say we were barging in on a date," explained Haruhi.

She was drinking a strawberry milkshake and fiddling with the straw while glancing at Mori and Hunny. Hunny was eating a piece of cake splashed with strawberry souse to make it look like blood, while Mori drank some tea. Hunny cocked his head slightly.

"Wait. Do you hear that?" asked Hunny.

Haruhi listened intently, although wasn't too sure what Hunny was talking about. She glanced over in a confused manner.

"What do you mean? I don't hear an-," began Haruhi.

A prominent "CRACK" sent the customers jumping. Everyone turned their attention to Tamaki's table as his glass of water had cracked under the pressure of his hand. He slowly removed his hand as blood trickled down his palm. Haruhi cried out in surprise. Kaoru sighed in relief as he noticed that Tamaki's distraction had postponed the kiss. Tears were threatening to spill from Tamaki's eyes, but he kept his composure as a cool and strange emo like punk.

"Idiot," whispered most of the club members.

Sakuya glanced over in shock at the others as if a spell was broken. She wondered if the boy was alright, but turned her attention back to Ryan. The club members sighed as the past was sure to come to light.

***

I glanced over at a young man with midnight colored hair. He looked strangely familiar, but I ignored it and faced Ryan once more. What could I do to make him realize that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be more than a friend now. I was afraid of what he could do now that he had the experience of a judo master as my thoughts of Hikaru getting injured entered my mind. The sloshing liquid was tipped in a downward direction as the warm steam was emptied of its contents. I watched in amusement as Ryan finished the last of his coffee. This must have meant that our meeting was almost over.

"So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" I questioned lightly even though I was feeling rather strained.

He glanced up at me and nodded.

"Ah yes. Of course you're curious about my **visit **ne? Well, my fiancée I will answer that question by simply saying th-," began Ryan.

The sound of a table rattling and grating chair turned heads.

"F-fiancée?! What is the meaning of this?" cried out a familiar male voice.

I spun around and saw the black haired violet colored....Tamaki! My face warmed with surprise. What was he doing here? I doubted he was alone. A chorused groan overtook the dreary place as the members emerged. Kaoru and...K-Kyoya were dressed as Nekozawa's followers. A flicker of a smile passed through my face. It suited him so well. I covered my mouth as I knew if I were to even chuckle at his get up that it would mean terrible consequences. Hunny was once more cross dressing with Haruhi at his side looking very much like how she might have looked if she had not chopped off her hair. Hikaru stormed over as he took his rightful place beside Kaoru. He looked pretty good with his hair that color, but of course he looked rather furious in my direction. Ryan glanced over in my direction with a cocked head.

"Friends of yours?" noted Ryan.

Wow. I may be stupid, but even **I** could tell that the twins' face from the rest or the world. The costumes really weren't that elaborate that I couldn't at least make out who they were. I glanced over at my friends who looked over at me in shock. Kaoru stepped forward after removing his hood and glasses. He looked so hurt.

"So, you guys are engaged?" questioned Kaoru.

WHAT!? My eyes widened in surprise. I shook my head and waved my hands around in an embarrassed manner.

"NO~!" I cried out abruptly.

They looked at each other in disbelief. I glanced over at Ryan and shook my head.

"Doth she protest too much, brother?" observed Hikaru in an irritated manner.

I gasped. It was the first time he ever looked at me so...**coldly.** I clenched my hands tightly in fists and squeezed my eyes shut. Hunny walked over and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. Slowly, I opened my eyes to look down at his syrupy ones. I felt like I wanted to break down in tears, but I didn't. I sat in one of the chairs and rubbed my temples. Haruhi looked over at Mori as the two looked like they'd be on my side. They moved next to Hunny as the three of them sat beside me. Tamaki, the twins, and Kyoya stood perfectly still in their place.

"It's the truth. I'm sorry that I never told you this before hand, but I thought this part of my life was over. I never expected it to come to this," I desperately pleaded towards the four.

The twins and Kyoya didn't even look at me as Tamaki flinched. It looked like I was getting to him. The rest looked at me as if waiting for my explanation. I sighed and nodded.

"Well, what Ryan said was partly the truth," I informed.

Gasps echoed the cafe'. Kyoya adjusted his glasses and waited while the twins just didn't even face me. Hunny tugged on my sleeve.

"What do you mean partly the truth?" questioned Hunny.

My attention directed itself to the sunset while the colors were staining the sky a pretty pink. My mind reeled as another flashback entered my vision.

I was ten years old and my fear of Ryan had increased. He had been in a fight with a rather large twelve year old and had sent him to the hospital. Luckily, we were spending the summer in London.

But maybe it wasn't too lucky

. I was barely coming out of a photo shoot for a new line of clothing when my parents arrived to pick me up. I looked up at them smiling as I retold them the day's events and how nice all the staff was. They nodded but looked slightly tightlipped once we arrived to the house.

"What wrong?" I asked curiously.

They just smiled and sent me on my way to get washed up for dinner. I was suspicous something was going on, but decided that it was best to just forget about it. This probably had nothing to with me. Just as I entered the bathroom, I heard the strained voices of my parents.

"Don't you think this might not be such a good idea?" questioned her mother.

My father just grunted and sighed in exasperation.

"Well, I think it's for the best. Maybe this will help out the business. Our ties with the Ackerman's seem to have become strained ever since that incident," he emphasized.

Ackerman? I slowly made my way down the stairs and pressed my back to the wall as their voices grew louder.

"That isn't the point. Saki-chan is just so young. That boy is dangerous, Kou. Who knows what would happen if the two were left alone," she insisted.

I strained my neck to see what they were doing. My mother was facing towards the oven while my father sat in his usual chair stroking his chin in wonder.

"Well, how could I say **no** to my friend. He seemed so desperate for our help. He says that Sheryl thinks Sakuya could **change** him. She says that everytime they're together, he seems to soften up a little," my father explained.

Shivers ran down my spine. Sure he was nice, but he just wasn't the same. Those cold and distant eyes were just something that I wasn't too sure I could handle.

"Yes, but an **arranged marriage**?" she inquired.

Marriage?! My foot caught on a step and I tumbled down the last four steps. My parents spun around and turned their attention to me. My mother came rushing towards me in worry as she helped me up.

"Are you alright Saki-chan?! Do you have any bruises?" she asked in worry.

I pulled away from her and took a step back with wide eyes. I balled up my hands into tiny fists and I felt myself tremble.

"Marriage? **Marriage**?! I guess the cat is out of the bag now. When were you planning on telling me this huh? The night before the **wedding**?! Have you even **considered** my feelings? Why won't you understand that I don't want to have anything to **do** with him. All he ever was to me was my best friend. But now he just...just scares me. There's an uncontrolable beast that is dormant inside him that could snap at any moment. He's **unstable**. I wouldn't even be able to pacify. Last summer, that **incident** proved it. But I guess all that matters is your precious **business partner**. You'd **sell **your only **child** if it meant good terms with your **peers**," I sneered.

Tears spilled from my mother's cheeks as she buried her face in her palms in shame. My father's face turned bright red with rage as he stomped over in my direction. His larged hand came crashing down on my right cheek with a deafening smack. My mother gasped in shock. Tears stung my eyes and I blindly ran towards the front door and opened it. I turned back once and mustered up all my energy to say the words that every parent was afraid to hear one day.

"I HATE YOU!!!" I screamed will all my soul.

I charged out of the house and onto the streets not knowing where I was going or what I was going to do. I heard the distinct slam as the panting of my mother and her incredible running skills were coming straight at me.

"Saki-chan! Come back!!" she called after me.

I made no move to turn around. I was not going to be forced into a marriage when I hadn't even had my first boyfriend! Let alone go through puberty.

Thinking back, I knew that I was being unreasonable. A big time spoiled brat. The only thing they ever asked of me when I've had such a great life, and I flipped out on them. Good job Sakuya. You're the brattiest person alive and all of it was **your** fault.

I somehow managed to get away from my mother and hid behind some bushes. That was the last time I ever saw my mother.

I sighed ridgidly as my voice felt shaky. I turned my attention to the others. Tamaki was bawling his eyes out like usual and he hugged me with great force.

"It's just like in those soap operas. So very moving," he wailed.

I patted his back akwardly.

"There, there?" I said in confusion.

Hunny looked over at me with worry.

"What happened to your mama Saa-chan?" he asked.

I bit my lip. Haruhi looked at me with empathy while Mori sat staring over stoicly as usual. The twins looked over at me with wide eyes.

"That was the argument you were talking about back in January?" questioned Hikaru.

I nodded. I glanced over at Ryan who looked rather unfazed by all the things I had said about him. Kaoru placed his hand on my shoulder and looked at his feet.

"I'm sorry," he apoligized.

A smile escaped my lips as I shook my head.

"There's nothing to apoligize for. Of course this looked rather real to those who didn't know the situation. It was my fault for not explaining to you all this stuff," I commented.

Kyoya nodded slightly.

"I see. So you have no feelings whatsoever for him? I find it rather impressive that he'd come all the way from the United States just to come see you," noted Kyoya.

At the comment, Ryan smirked and crossed his arms.

"Yeah well. I won't give her up that easily. I figure that the more time I spend with her and keep insisting, she'll crack under pressure," he informed.

My eyes widened in surprise. He had just revealed his true intentions like it was nothing. I slumped. Way to dump a load of feelings on me. I checked my cell phone and noticed that it was well over 8:30. I sighed and got up from my chair and walked up to the cash register to pay for my drink.

"I've got to get going. Sorry guys. Maybe we can discuss this into more detail then," I said as I waved goodbye.

My ride was already set and I left in a hurry. For now, they'd just have to do with the bit of information I had now engraved in their minds.

***

The male club members glared over at Ryan. Hikaru tensed, but knew that if he tried to fight him, he'd only lose. Ryan glanced at the seven members and cocked his head.

"Who are you guys to Saki anyway?" he asked.

Hikaru glared.

"SAKI? What the hell is that? So you think you're so great since she used to be your **childhood **friend? That's **pathetic**," scoffed Hikaru.

Ryan glanced at him calmly and stood from his seat. He had a smug look on his face.

"I bet you're just jealous. You've only known her for less than four months. You probably just call her Sakuya-chan like the rest of the 1st years," commented Ryan.

Hikaru growled, but Kaoru rested a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Tamaki broke the ice while smiling with charm.

"We are the Host Club located in Music room 3. Where we entertain beautiful girls with too much time on their hands," proclaimed Tamaki.

Ryan looked unimpressed.

"So, in other words, you guys are male prostitutes," he decided.

Everyone looked at him in shock, but Kyoya intervened.

"You're being rather bold for someone we just met. Let alone you haven't even introduced yourself. You should know better than to insult ones culture it makes it look like you're barbarian. As for the comment about being a male prostitutes, that is far from the truth. From the moment it was formed, we have never done something so unsightly. Simply think of us as gentleman like escorts," he said with a scary smile.

The twins, Tamaki, Haruhi, and Hunny looked over in fear. Ryan twitched in surprise and took a step back gaping. He composed himself and crossed his arms.

"I'm Ryan Ackerman," he stated.

Kyoya chuckled and he bowed slightly.

"My name is Ohtori Kyoya," he informed.

The two were having a sort of face off from the point of view of the others.

"A **pleasure** to **meet** you, Ohtori-**senpai**," Ryan said dripping with politeness.

It was the battle of courtesy. The twins snickered at the sight.

"Kyoya got to him," commented Kaoru.

Hikaru agreed with a nod as the others began greeting and introducing themselves to Ryan.

"So, are you guys her boy to- I mean, her friends?" asked Ryan.

Hunny nodded enthusiastically. Haruhi intervened.

"Well, I guess we're her friends, but it started out that she became part of our club," Haruhi explained.

Ryan glanced at her in curiously.

"Interesting. When is this **club** open?" he questioned.

Tamaki stood up and flipped his hair slightly.

"After school of course!" exclaimed Tamaki.

A smirk was placed on his face and a dark shadow loomed. He bowed slightly.

"Nice. Anyway, I've gotta go. See ya later," he waved.

He left the cafe with the Host club staring after him.

"What was that about?" questioned Hikaru.

Everyone shrugged and made their way out the door after paying for their drinks and headed back to their home.

A certain male Ouran student glanced over in wonder. He smirked slightly. This information was rather interesting. Not only did he get a glimpse of Sakuya's past, but he realized that those young men she hung out with were rather...interesting people. He sipped the last of his coffee and flagged down the waitress. His green eyes flashed with curiosity and he ran a hand through his pitch black hair. He stood up from his seat and paid the cat girl and he made his way towards his car. He slipped his sunglasses back on and closed the door behind him.

***

"WHA?! What are you doing here?" I cried out in surprise.

Ryan crossed his arms and had his trade mark smirk on his face.

"What? Aren't you happy to see me? I went through all the trouble to come here and that's how you greet me?" he teased.

I spun to look at the club memebers in wonder. Haruhi shrugged. The twins sighed.

"Blame M'lord. He was going on and on about this place," explained Kaoru.

I glared over at Tamaki who was hiding behind Kyoya in fear.

"Forgive me Sakuya-chan!" he cried out.

I sighed and took my seat on the couch. Well, he was a customer. Kyoya walked over to Ryan.

"Please do try not to embarrass your country with your barbarian like ways," he teased.

Ryan reddened slightly but cooled down.

"Of **course**," he said through clenched teeth.

The twins snickered and I giggled slightly. I think I'm starting to like Kyoya.


	12. Feverish Confessions

**Yukihime211 here! Sorry for the long wait! I didn't have internet access in forever. T-T But its up and running! I'm so proud of this chapter! This is the first chapter I've ever done a scene that...well just read and find out. (Not in the nasty way.)**

Chapter 12

Feverish Confessions

Winds were howling outside as the rain pelted the ground. It was one of those days where everyone wanted to skip out on school and just go back to sleep. I sighed as I lay in bed with the covers pulled up to my chin. The alarm had gone off about five minutes ago and I was seriously feeling like skipping out on school today. There was a distinct knock on my door as Yoneko barged into my room with the uniform in her hand.

"Up and at 'em Sakuya-sama," she greeted cheerily.

I groaned and turned around.

"I'm too tired to go to school," I whined.

She took a hold of my covers and pulled them off. I glared back at her as she tapped her foot in anticipation. I sighed and got up from bed. I knew this was going to be a dreadful day. I walked into the bathroom with my things and took a nice hot shower.

"Damn it!" cried out Hikaru.

Kaoru looked up abruptly from his book. It seemed that lately, Hikaru was on a very short fuse. It was obvious as Ryan spent every day requesting Sakuya as a customer, that Hikaru was becoming more of a jealous freak.

"What is it?" asked Kaoru.

Hikaru looked up from his Nintendo DS Light with a scowl.

"I lost," he groaned.

The two were currently in their limo on their way to school. It was still raining terribly, which could also account for Hikaru's discontent. Kaoru was okay, but he still wasn't too happy about the rain. It sort of made everything rather depressing. They arrived to the school and opened their umbrellas while making their way towards the entrance.

WHY? I silently screamed towards the heavens. Currently, my car had broken down. Now here I was stranded with no cell phone reception! The time was running out. I was **not** going to be late. I grabbed my things and opened the car door. My driver looked at me in surprise.

"What are you going to do Sakuya-sama?" he asked.

I glanced over and sighed.

"I'm walking to class," I explained.

He looked at me with concern.

"Are you sure that is such a good idea? I mean, it's pouring out there," he protested.

I shook my head and smiled.

"Its okay. I'm a pretty fast runner. I'll be sure to make it in time for class. I'll be fine. In the meantime, try to look for a gas station or something to help you, 'kay?" I asked.

He nodded. I grabbed my umbrella and stepped out of the car. I walked along the side with the umbrella over head. It was pretty windy, but I made pretty good distance. It was weird, but I actually had a good idea where I was going. I was content that everything was alright. That is, until I was out of the watchful sight of the driver. Winds were high and dangerously toying with me. Invisible hands toyed with the pink umbrella and pulled on it like a tug of war game. My dress fluttered with the winds and I was pelted with cold like rain. With one final tug, the umbrella was snatched from my hands and was airborne. It fluttered away as the wind wailed as if it was snickering at me. Like that, it was gone. Rain came crashing down onto me like bullets. I looked up to the sky in exasperation.

"Really? What did I do to deserve **this**?" I cried out to the heavens.

I treaded with my shoes making a squishy noise as I walked. My hair was matted down from the rain as I was starting to look more and more like I had just stepped out of the shower fully clothed. When I finally arrived to the school, I was shivering profusely and felt like smacking myself for thinking it was such a good idea to **walk** all the way to school. As I entered the school, people glanced in my direction in curiosity. Roaming the hallways, the twins popped out of nowhere and looked at me in surprise. They jogged over to my side.

"Woah what happened to you? Did you fall into a puddle or something?" asked Hikaru.

I sighed as Kaoru examined my shoes.

"You're drenched from head to toe. Even your shoes are ruined," he noted.

I took a hold of my hair and twisted it to wring out the water from my hair. I sneezed softly. They tutted in disapproval

"That's no good. Come on let's get you into some dry clothes," they said in unison.

The two guided me to the music room. Kaoru rummaged through the back closet where I guessed they kept the outfits. I cringed at the feel of the dress sticking to my body. A towel was thrown at me and it landed directly on my head. It blinded my vision for a moment and all I saw was white. I removed the towel from my face and looked up to see Hikaru. He grinned and patted my head.

"Here. Don't want you to catch a cold, do we?" he teased.

I nodded and did my best to dry my hair. Kaoru appeared with a yellow fabric, which I suppose meant he had a spare uniform. I withdrew the dress from his hands and walked towards the nearest changing room.

Haruhi arrived to class sighing. She had gotten a ride from Tamaki that day and he was just tiring her out. As usual, he was being overly hyper on such a dreary day. He kept spouting nonsense about how spring meant the sign of blooming flowers of love. Whatever that meant. For one, she really didn't care.

"Tamaki can be such an idiot at times," she whispered to herself.

She took her rightful place and looked around in curiosity. Where were the twins? Of course, Ryan was restless a few rows down wondering what was taking Sakuya so long. He had been informed she left her house early and he supposed from previous information about her speed, she'd be here. He grumbled and took out his list of things to do in order to get Sakuya to love him again. Haruhi shook her head as she took a quick peek at what Ryan was doing. She shivered and felt sympathetic towards Sakuya. No girl in their right mind would want someone like **that**. Everyone sat in their seats as the doors opened. The room fell silent. The twins walked in with Sakuya not far behind. Her hair was damp as it hung loosely on her shoulders. Everyone stared in curiosity. Ryan's eyes trailed to her legs which were bare as her stockings were missing. Her uniform's bow was slightly askew. His eyes widened as the worst case scenario played through his head. She fixed the bow without shame and sat down beside Haruhi.

"So, she's got a **twin** complex. Can't really compete with that," he mumbled.

Class ended without a hitch and everyone filed out. The rain was still pouring and it was really bringing down the mood. Haruhi and I walked beside one another with the twins trailing behind. My thoughts drifted towards the May showers. It was really unusual. We entered the club room where Kyoya, Tamaki, Hunny and Mori waited patiently for our arrival.

"So, tell us about today's theme," Hikaru said right away.

...Yeah. The least he could do was greet them. I sighed and greeted everyone accordingly. We sat in our seats while Kyoya made a paper appear from thin air.

"What's that?" I questioned.

He looked up from the paper and passed it out. On the paper was a picture of the era in which our clothes would be fashioned. My eyes widened in surprise. This was **so** cliche'. A **maid** outfit. Did that mean that the others would be dressed as servants or something? I looked over Hikaru's shoulder to see a waiter's outfit. Huh. So some sort of cafe? As long as I didn't have to wear cat ears, I wouldn't mind.

"So, are we doing some sort of cafe'?" asked Haruhi.

Kyoya nodded an adjusted his glasses and stood from his chair. He led us towards the dressing rooms. After half an hour of changing, everyone walked out wearing their costume. My hair was placed in long pigtails with the little head dress on my head. It was the typical black and white maid outfit. With its mary janes and thigh length stockings. We all strolled along towards the door. The twins, Haruhi, Kyoya, Hunny, Mori, and Tamaki wore black vests over a crisp white dress shirt. The tables were set up inside to have a sort of indoor tea party.

"Why are we having a cafe' when its raining?" I wondered out loud.

The twins veered towards me with wide grins. Kyoya sat near the table doing some random last minute things on his laptop. Tamaki, the twins, Hunny and Mori flicked their thumbs in approval.

"Nice going Kyoya!" they called out. (Well besides Mori)

Haruhi sighed and patted my shoulder in sympathy. Hikaru decided to intervene.

"Well, although Haruhi was the first girl to join, she has to pose as a guy so we never get to dress her up. Since everyone knows you're a girl, we've decided to go all out," he informed.

My eyes widened. So in other words, the cafe idea was only to get me to dress in a maid outfit. Do they have a sort of cosplay fetish? My nose tickled and my eyes began to water suddenly. I turned away and took a hold of my hankerchief and sneezed softly.

"Hm. By the sound of that, it looks like you were out in the rain today. Be sure to take some medicine before you go to bed," observed Kyoya as he looked me over.

Well, that was strange. How did he know? Haruhi bent close as Kyoya walked by.

"You might be wondering about Kyoya's medical intuition. Well, his family runs a chain of hospitals," she explained.

Huh. I guess you learn something new everyday. Tamaki gasped and practically ran over to me while taking a hold of my hands.

"You're not feeling well Sakuya-chan? We must summon a doctor at once!" he cried out.

I think that I've heard that line before. I was pretty sure that any minute now, Hikaru would intervene with some comment about him being silly.

"M'lord, will you give that a break?" asked Hikaru in annoyance.

Heh. Right on cue. I chuckled softly and waited patiently for the customers to arrive. The doors opened and the girls crowded in cooing at how they thought their favorite hosts were looking especially handsome today. I sat in my usual seat, until Ryan walked in. The room fell silent as Kyoya stood and glanced over at Ryan in a sort of warning. He seemed to have got it, but that didn't mean that it would stop him from finding a loop around the rules. He placed an arm around my shoulders.

"Hey there Saki. Nice outfit there. If you were to be a maid, I wouldn't mind seeing you clean with that on," he observed.

My face flushed and a turned away from his gaze. If he was going to act like that, fine. It wasn't like I could do much.

"Good afternoon master. Would you like a cup of tea?" I asked while plastering a shiny smile.

His eyes widened and he blushed slightly. He averted his gaze until my smile faded. He moved closer to me with a grin.

"Hm. How about a **kiss** instead?" he proposed.

I looked directly into his eyes and leaned closer. He looked over in surprise. I placed my lips near his ear.

"Not a chance," I deadpanned.

I pulled away and he looked at me with shock.

"Where did you learn to act so...out of character?" he questioned.

The twins came from behind and hugged me tightly. They grinned over at him and looked on proudly.

"You're welcome," they said in unision.

Ryan glared at them but decided it was best to try and keep the cool. He crossed his arms and glanced around in curiosity.

"You're interupting us. Don't you have some people to entertain or something?" he noted.

The twins frowned, but knew they had to head back to their area. I glanced over at him and sighed.

"You didn't have to send them off like that," I explained.

He just shrugged and took his seat on one of the chairs. He cupped his face in his hands and cocked his head while looking at me intently. He leaned forwards and lowered his lids.

"Now about that kiss," he began.

I groaned inwardly. I ran a hand through my hair and toyed with it as I waited for him to continue his banter.

"Give me ten reasons why I should," I challenged.

He smirked and chuckled. He took out a piece of paper from his breast pocket and unfolded it. He cleared his throat as he scanned the paper.

"One...," he read off.

My eyes widened in surprise. When did he have the time to make a list? Wait...could it be that he had this planned from the time we were 'engaged'? Great. I wonder how long this list was. I meant it as a joke, but as usual, people took me to be way too serious. I sighed and placed an elbow on the table to hold up my face.

Kaoru sat beside his brother and glanced over at Sakuya as she leaned close to Ryan. Could there have been a possibility that she had feelings for him and was just keeping them a secret? After watching for a while, he saw a shocked look on Ryan's face and he knew it was alright. After coming back from hugging their doll, the twins were together pleasing the girls but always kept an eye in Sakuya's direction. The girls chattered with the guys as Kyoya glanced over at Sakuya's station. Her eyes fluttered open and shut as Ryan read off a list that was practically hitting the floor. He chuckled and walked back to his laptop. He decided to check on the others. Hunny, Mori, Haruhi, and Tamaki were working as usual. It was an ordinary day without any problems. It was a rather unusual sight. It only meant that this was the calm before the storm.

The next morning, I woke up feeling so drained. I decided it was because I stayed up late doing homework after my club was over. I dragged myself towards the shower. There was no way I would be walking today. Since our car was being repaired, I had decided upon calling the twins so that I could get a ride with them. After showering and changing, I walked down the stairs towards the kitchen where my breakfast was set out. I picked at the food and nibbled some, but I really just had no appetite. I yawned and snapped out my cell. It took a short amount of time for one of them to answer.

"Hello?" It was Kaoru.

I yawned and looked around to see the clock. It was still early, so I decided it wouldn't be too much of a burden.

"Hey Kaoru. Sorry for calling so early. Just had a favor to ask," I explained.

Voices were heard in the background. It sounded as if Hikaru had snatched the phone from Kaoru. I cocked my ear slightly to hear what they were saying.

"Sakuya? So, do you need to escape your nanny again?" he teased.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. I stood from my chair and strolled into the living room.

"Hey Hikaru. Nice to hear from you too. No I don't need to escape my nanny. I was wondering if you guys could come pick me up. You see, my car is in the shop and I don't really have a ride to school," I explained.

Kaoru took a hold of the phone after winning over by faking tears. I giggled.

"Okay. We'll be there soon. So hey, did you listen to Kyoya's advice?" he asked with concern.

I thought back to yesterday and felt ashamed. I shook my head. No use saying something to worry them.

"Of course," I fibbed.

I ended the call and waited patiently for them to come and get me. My cell buzzed and I answered immediately with curiosity. It was a text from my dad. Weird...I pressed the ok button to read the message.

_"_**The anniversary is in a few weeks. Are you going or not?**_"_ he questioned.

I gasped. How could I have forgotten. I immediately deleted the message. My shoulders shook and I fell to the floor in surprise. I shivered and shook uncontrollably. My eyes were beginning to feel like they were going to water. There was a knock on my door. Time for school. I had to pull myself together. I took a deep breath and stood up from the ground while brushing away the would be tears. I grabbed my things and a coat as it was still raining. I had checked the weather and it was supposed to be raining cats and dogs all week. I slowly walked to the door trying my best to put on a brave face.

Kaoru sat in the car with Hikaru. His face was contoured in concern. His brows were furrowed and he felt that Sakuya was once more covering something up. He couldn't quite place what though. He stared outside where there was a major downpour.

"Didn't she seem sort of depressed?" he wondered aloud.

Hikaru looked over in curiosity. He didn't feel any of those vibes while talking to her. Maybe it was just because Kaoru was more intuitive than him. He decided that was the case. Hikaru ran to Sakuya's front door and immediately after, she came out. Her face was pale and she was slightly trembling. She tried putting up a smile, but under that smile, she looked hurt. He grinned over trying to light the mood. He placed an arm around her shoulders and leaned close.

"Why the long face? You look like someone died or something," he teased.

Her smile faded slightly and she shifted uncomfortably. She nodded in agreement and laughed shakily.

"Haha. Sorry. I'm just tired. I didn't get enough sleep last night so I'm a little cranky," I explained.

Hikaru removed his arm and the two walked silently to his car. She had a glassy look on her face as if she were reliving the past over and over again in her mind. Kaoru noticed immediately that something was amiss. The three sat together in silence as the driver drove them to Ouran. Hikaru rocked side to side from boredom and took out his DS as he continued his game based on some sort of ninja. Sakuya yawned slightly and closed her eyes looking like she was ready to sleep. They arrived to the school and entered the classroom where Ryan was waiting boredly. He glanced over at Sakuya and walked to her desk. He sat on the seat and leaned over to look at her.

"You okay?" he asked in wonder.

The color came back to her cheeks and she glanced at him and sighed.

"Yeah. I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked with indignation.

He backed off and smirked. If she was able to back talk him, of course she was alright. She glanced out the window with a slight frown on her face. It was typical behaviour. She never really liked the rain unless it were autumn and she just wanted to drink hot chocolate. He walked back to his seat as he decided to go about his list once more about he would to to make Sakuya's heart become his.

Wednesday and Thursday wasn't any better than Tuesday.

It seemed like I had caught a cold. I tried my hardest to cover it up, and it worked well.

I had the sniffles and had just started coughing. No fever yet, so I guessed that it wasn't that serious. I had taken some medicine the other day and it seemed to be working.

I felt drained, but I knew that I couldn't miss a day. It would cause an uproar.

My vision felt hazy and my eyes felt blurry as I entered the class on Friday. The rain just wouldn't let up. This was really bringing down the mood. Even Tamaki had gotten into a depressed mood.

There wasn't much we could do outside, so all the events had to take place indoors.

I went along the day feeling light headed and way out of it. I tried to push away the fog but it just felt like it was getting worse.

I listlessy walked to the kitchen to prepare the drinks for the customers like I usually did.

I took a deep breath and held on to the counter. My throat felt itchy. Suddenly, I began coughing and my chest felt like it burned.

What was this feeling? This didn't seem like an ordinary cold.

I took a hold of the tray, but a coughing fit over took me and the glasses shattered as they hit the ground.

I keeled over and felt my cheeks flush. My breathing came in short gasps and my head felt like it was being hammered.

Tears escaped my eyes as the pain coursed through my body.

Was I dying?

I needed to call for help, but how could I when I didn't have the will power to move forward?

Tamaki held out his hand to one of his customers and kissed it gently. She blushed at him and her face turned a slight pink.

"Princess, you are my sun that nourishes me with your radiant beauty. What a lovely color you've turned. Light pink like the sky as the sun sets," he complimented.

She giggled with pleasure. Along towards the twins. Their brotherly love act was in full swing. They looked deep into their eyes and clutched their hands.

"You're so mean Hikaru," said Kaoru with tears in his eyes. (Fake of course)

They had been discussing a game and then Hikaru "teased" Kaoru how he is a sore loser and cries.

"I'm sorry Kaoru. You're just so **fun** to **tease**," explained Hikaru.

The girls squealed in surprise. As for Kyoya, he was observing the others and entertaining the girls with his knowledge of the food being handed out.

"Mochi actually originated in the...," he then went on with his report.

The girl giggled and covered her mouth with both her hands.

"My, how knowledgable!" she squealed.

Haruhi sat with Kuragano as they discussed the weather and tea.

"This weather makes me wish for summer to come sooner," Haruhi explained.

Kuragano agreed as she stared out the window. An idea popped in her head.

"Why don't we make plans to go down to Kyushu. I have a summer home down there where it is always sunny," suggested Kuragano.

Haruhi laughed nervously.

"Maybe next time," she replied.

She looked back and thought to herself.

_"Besides. I don't even have a passport._ _It would_ _be too much of a hassle,"_ she thought.

As for Hunny and Mori, they were currently unoccupied looking over at Sakuya in concern. It looked like she was trying to hide a cold from the others, but it was clearly evident if she was found unguarded.

"Takashi? Do you think we should tell Kyo-chan about Saa-chan? She looks really sick," noted Hunny.

Mori nodded in agreement and sighed.

"We should most likely go talk to him now before his next customer comes in," figured Mori.

Kyoya sat patiently at his table with his laptop set up where he was making some adjustments to the Ouran Host Club website. The two hustled over in concern. Kyoya looked up in wonder of why the third years would come up to him at a time like this.

"Is something the matter?" he questioned.

Before they could answer, the sound of glass shattering pierced the room. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and immediately came to the same conclusion.

Sakuya was in trouble.

They all ran towards the kitchen with Kyoya up ahead. He swung the door open where he saw Sakuya wheezing for air and unconscious on the floor. Her cheeks were flushed pink and beads of sweat trickled down her face. He stopped dead in his tracks for only a moment until he began barking orders to the club members. He knelt beside her and rose her slightly as he felt her forehead. He winced as he removed his hand. She was definitely burning up.

"Kaoru! Call an ambulance at once! Hikaru! Get the customers out of here as soon as possible! Haruhi! Bring me a cold towel! Tamaki! Call her guardian! Mori! Get the couch ready! Hunny! Help Mori!" he commanded.

Everyone knew their job and went to work without hesitation. Kyoya shook off his coat and wrapped it around Sakuya. He lifted the girl from the ground as if she were as light as a feather and towards the couch. His eyebrows were furrowed in anger and a grimace replaced his cool complexion. Deep down though, he was feeling very concerned. She squirmed slightly in his arms but stopped as the wheezing seemed to be getting worse and the pain was becoming excruciating. He set her down gently on the couch where Hunny looked ready to burst into tears.

"Saa-chan! Speak to me! Saa-chan!" Hunny cried hysterically.

There was no response from Sakuya's part and it looked like Hunny was going to just make her more agitated. Kyoya took one look at Mori and pleaded for his help. Mori simply nodded and drove Hunny outside where the rest of the customers were. Haruhi ran back with a wet towel and a bucket filled with cold water. Kyoya went straight to work. He placed the towel on her forehead. He looked over at Haruhi with steel eyes.

"Haruhi. Please loosen Sakuya's collar," he demanded.

She walked over cautiously and looked at him with doubt. But she knew deep down that they needed him if Sakuya were to survive. She undid the tie and pulled on the collar to open up more. She exposed Sakuya's collarbone and looked back at Kyoya for the next order. Her eyes were wide with fear.

__

"Is Sakuya going to be okay?"

Haruhi wondered.

As she tried to tell Kyoya, her tongue felt heavy and unable to proceed with her question. She turned away and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see a friend die. Kaoru ran in with the phone still in hand.

"They're on their way!" he cried.

Kyoya nodded and looked down at Sakuya one last time before leaving to calm down the customers.

"You're going to be okay," he whispered.

He then left Haruhi to attend to Sakuya by using the damp towel to try and cool down the fever. Kaoru walked over to Sakuya cautiously. What could have happened to make her so sick? This was definitely not an ordinary cold. But what could it have been? He leaned close and looked on in concern.

"Hang in there. Help is on its way," he reassured the girl.

Tamaki entered the room with tears in his eyes. He tried brushing them away, but they just wouldn't stop falling.

"I called the house but the only one able to take responsibility is her maid by the name of Yoneko. Her father is on a business trip," he informed.

All there was to do now was wait.

The ambulance arrived and carried off the ill girl to the hospital. Only one person could enter the ambulance car with her as her guardian would meet her at the hospital. The responsibility fell on the one with the most experience with medical knowledge. Kyoya Ohtori. The other members piled in the car and drove off behind the car in a hurry. Everyone had only one thing on their mind as they made the long trip to the hospital.

"Please be alright," they all prayed silently.

Yoneko was in a frenzy as she ran out the door with her car keys. She never resorted to using the car due to traffic, but nothing else would cut it if she were to get to the hospital in time. She cursed her boss' name for leaving his child once more when she had clearly shown signs of becoming ill. Yoneko felt hot tears tumble down her cheeks. This girl was like a daughter to her. She started the engine to the car and sped off towards the hospital.

Back at the hospital, a series of tests were being done on Sakuya as an IV was inserted near her veins. The rhythmic sound of Sakuya's heartbeat on the monitor was a good sign.

Outside the room, the club members were pacing around with worry. Hunny held on tight to the stuffed animal he had received from Sakuya back in January. Mori sat down next to him with his favorite cake in hand. Hunny just shook his head.

"I'm not hungry," he whispered.

The club members were in shock. There was never a time where Hunny was so upset that he'd turn down sweets. Haruhi patted his hand.

"I'm sure she'll be alright," she reassured.

Deep down, she really didn't know. Sat there blankly and wasn't sure how to react. He looked down at his hands as he thought about his mother back home. He shook his head and tried his hardest to stay positive. Kyoya sat with the doctors discussing his hypothesis on the condition. As for the twins, they had been so consumed with shock at the turn of events that they were like empty shells. They weren't really sure how to react at all. The room was so silent that the clock hung on the wall was audible. Suddenly, the room became chaotic. A woman wearing A t-shirt and jeans walked in soaking wet. Her hair a dark brown and hung limp. She ran up to the Nurse's addmitance office.

"Where's Sakuya? I'm her guardian," she said hysterically.

The twins immediately became aware of the woman. It was Yoneko. They rose from their chairs and walked up to her. The nurse went through the paperwork and handed it to her to sign.

"Please calm down Miss. Your child is being looked over by our doctors alright. We will inform you if there is any news. There is some paperwork that must be done before any kind of information is given," the nurse explained calmly.

Yoneko grabbed the papers and sat down with the rest of the host club members. She looked around at the people surrounding her. She could make out the twins, Kyoya and Haruhi, but wasn't sure about the others. A tall dark haired young man with a silent demeanor sitting with a child in his lap and a handsome princely character.

She had gotten a call from a young man saying that Sakuya was in the hospital. She didn't recognize his voice, but he assured her that he was a friend of Sakuya's.

She looked over at the twins waiting for answers.

"What happened?" she asked.

The twins shifted slightly under her glare. They explained that she just collapsed and looked like she had trouble breathing but weren't sure what was wrong.

"You should ask Kyoya. He might have an idea," he explained.

She walked up to the bespectacled young man. He looked over and bowed slightly.

"Good evening Yoneko-san. What can I help you with?" he asked.

She took a ragged breath and glanced at the patient's ward.

"It's about Sakuya. Do you have any idea what is wrong with her?" she questioned.

He sighed and shook his hea

"Those symptoms could be anything. Although I've narrowed it down to pneumonia or bronchitis. Have you noticed her coughing or breathing irregularly before this occurence?" he wondered.

She recalled Sakuya coming down late at night frequently for water to try and stop the coughing. There wasn't much to do now but wait for the doctor to give out the diagnosis.

It was going to be a long night.

Morning came and the members of the host club had dissipated. Yoneko had stayed overnight as Sakuya had not regained conscious since she collapsed.

It seemed that Kyoya's intuition was right. It was acute bronchitis. She felt so stupid for not noticing until it got so extreme. She was told that once Sakuya woke up, that she was to be put into bed rest for ten days at the least.

A list was printed out with instructions on how to care for the sick girl and given with great care to Yoneko. She sighed as sleep was calling her name.

News traveled of Sakuya coming home after her long stay at the hospital. The club was estatic! She wouldn't be at school for a week and some since she had to stay home and recover.

"Acute bronchitis? Wow. I'm glad she's okay now," thought Haruhi out loud.

Hunny smiled as anxiously bounced around.

"We should go visit her!" he said cheerfully.

Mori agreed with the usual nod. Kyoya shook his head.

"I prohibit you. We can't all go at once. We risk causing her low immune system to grow worse. I suggest we make a calender in which we all have chance to go one at a time and visit her. Objections?" he asked.

Of course there were objections. But there was no stopping the demon lord. They nodded and walked towards the calender set up for them to go. Tamaki rushed in front with a grin on his face.

"Since I am the father, I should go first," he explained.

The twins pushed him out of the way.

"We're her **best friends**," they noted.

Hunny flung them out of his way with a cutesy smile behind Mori.

"I want to share my cake with Saa-chan!" he exclaimed.

Kyoya sighed in irritation. Haruhi walked forwards with straws in her hand.

"How about we draw straws and the person with the smallest one goes today?" she suggested.

Everyone agreed and drew. Suspense was in the air as they opened their palm to see the straw. Groans echoed the room as the lucky winner held up the small straw; Kaoru Hitachiin. Tamaki went into his corner to cry. Kyoya sighed with a bit irritation and promptly sketched in Kaoru's name. Hunny jumped up unfazed.

"I call second," he claimed.

Thus, the cycle started once more.

Kaoru felt his heart flutter. He would finally get to see Sakuya after the whole fainting incident. He didn't expect her to be in top condition, but as long as he saw her, it was fine with him.

Hikaru glanced at his little brother in wonder. Suddenly, Ryan burst through the doors and looked around wildly. He grimaced. He had heard Sakuya had gone to the hospital and it seemed that the rumors rang true. Immediately after seeing everyone crowded around Kyoya, he got the gist of signing up to see Sakuya.

"Sign me up next! She's my fiancee after all," he commented.

Hikaru immediatly grimaced at him. He got up all in his face like a raging idiot.

"EX-fiancee! Get your facts right. Besides, you're not even a part of our club! DENIED!" he cried out.

Tamaki joined in. Kaoru sighed and walked out the door. If he was going to see Sakuya, the least he could do was get her a gift or something.

"*Cough cough cough cough* ARGH!" I cried out.

I was stuck in bed feeling like I wanted someone to just knock me out to put me out of my misery. I barely got any sleep as due to all the coughing. I had no energy and all that I could do was watch reruns of some stupid show about a woman caring for some widow's three kids. She was wearing the gaudiest of clothing with excessive make up. Whatever. I turned off the tv and sat there with a towel over my head as I inhaled steam from boiling hot water. Yoneko walked in with some tea and honey. I struggled to sit up as she handed me the cup. I sipped it cautiously and felt my throat relax for what seemed like the first time since I got back from the hospital. She looked at me with empathy.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

I stared at her vacantly for a while and promptly lied down on the bed. I sighed heavily.

"Like crap," I admitted.

She giggled softly and she ruffled my hair.

"You seem to be improving in health," she noted.

I smiled slightly, but began coughing once more. Yoneko gasped and made me put the towel over my head to once more inhale the steam. Ah, the wonderful feeling of my lungs giving out. Just what the doctor ordered. I didn't know how much of this I could take.

It was late once the host club closed, but that didn't stop Kaoru from going to visit Sakuya's house. He walked out of the car and buzzed the intercom. Outside the mansion it was still raining like crazy. Luckily, he had on a rain coat and umbrella.

"May I help you?" asked a female voice.

Kaoru had the bag in his hand. He pressed the button to speak.

"I'm here to see Sakuya. Its me. Kaoru from school. There's some homework that I needed to deliver to her and decided to drop by to see how she was doing," he explained.

The gates opened and he walked towards the door where Yoneko was waiting with open arms. He entered the house where silence rang through out the room. The sound of the water crashing on concrete had subsided once he entered.

"Good evening Kaoru-kun. Sakuya-sama is upstairs. Although I'm not sure whether she is already fast asleep, but feel free to check," she decided.

He nodded and removed his raincoat. He walked up the stairs towards Sakuya's room and knocked.

There was no response, but he opened the door anyway. He entered the dim lighted room. The only light came from a single lamp. He walked in and took in all the sorts of remedies located around the room. A bowl filled with cool water and a towel over it pointed towards inhaling the steam. Towels were strewn around the room with some damp to help reduce the fever.

His eyes then located the sleeping form of Sakuya. She was attired in light-blue-and-yellow star print cotton shorts and a white camisole top. Her long hair was damp and nestled softly on top of her back. Her pretty face showed serenity.

He blushed slightly and looked away as he took a seat beside her. He turned back and on impulse took one of his hands and stroked her cheek. His eyes shone with unshed tears. He was glad she was okay. He didn't know what he would have done if she had died.

He leaned close and was in the midst of kissing her, when Yoneko walked inside abruptly. He backed away suddenly and stood up. She looked up at him with a glare. She marched up to him and he backed away slowly.

"H-hey. I wouldn't do anything drastic. I was just checking her temp-" he began.

She burst into tears. He looked at her in alarm. She was bawling like a baby. She placed a trusting hand on his shoulder.

"I have to go. There's been a family emergency," she explained.

He looked down at Sakuya and then at her.

"You can't just leave Sakuya all by herself," he pointed out.

She looked at him and nodded as she made her way out the door.

"I leave Sakuya-sama in your care," she said.

He walked after her with hesitation.

"Bu-," he began.

It was too late. She was gone. He sighed and walked back up to Sakuya's room dejectedly. All he wanted to do was visit her to see how she was doing. How was it that he got dragged into caring for her?

He sat down on the chair and wondered how long he would have to stay here? He scanned the room and found a paper printed out on how to help get rid of acute bronchitis as soon as possible. He scanned the list and his eyes fell upon the step to place a warm, damp towel on the person's stomach and back. Kaoru looked down at Sakuya and blushed. She sighed and turned to the other side. He glanced at the alarm in her room which read:8:30 pm. Kaoru yawned and rubbed his eye slightly. After staring at Sakuya for so long, he had fallen asleep.

Kaoru awoke with a start. He looked around the room to see pictures of boy bands and teddy bears in their stand. He adjusted to the light and finally realized he was in Sakuya's room. But why did he wake up? He scratched the back of his head in wonder and looked around. He cocked his ear. It sounded like a whimper or something. He walked over to Sakuya to see her lips quivering as she looked ready to cry. Was she awake? He leaned closer to see her eyes still shut. She began sobbing while she twisted and turned in her bed. What was happening? A nightmare? He placed a hand on her forehead and immediately withdrew it. She was burning up.

"Mother! Look out! Please get out of the way," she whimpered.

Kaoru looked at her with anxiety. What was she talking about? He placed a hand on her shoulder. She jerked back and pushed him away.

"NOOO! Someone save her! Oh why can't you see the car? AHHH!" she cried out.

Kaoru looked at her with distress. He held on to her shoulders and shook her slightly.

"Sakuya! Wake up! Its just a dream," he explained.

She twisted left and right to wriggle from his grasp. Tears spilled from her eyes and she began to cough uncontrollably. Kaoru gasped. He had to get her to calm down or else she'd risk making her bronchitis worse.

_I was walking through the streets of London, when I suddenly caught sight of a little girl no older than ten. My focus on her increased, as I realized that it was me as a little girl._

_Trailing behind the younger me, was a beautifully tall woman with platinum blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She was slim and had rather long legs. It was my mother._

_She looked exactly as she had the day I ran away from home. Her eyes were filled with tears as she sprinted towards the younger me._

_The walk sign suddenly became red, but she kept on going. There was a man driving a red sports car in that direction in a rapid speed and it didn't seem like he was going to slow down anytime soon. No. Not again._

_It was my chance to save her. I called out to her._

_"Mother! Look out! Please get out of the way," I begged._

_She didn't even turn to look at me. Why wasn't she listening to me? I ran towards her, but I kept getting further and further away from her. It was almost like she was disappearing before my eyes. I once more tried to get her attention._

_The car was only a few blocks away from where she was walking. I cupped my mouth and screamed. People passed by without even glancing at my mother. They didn't know._

_"Nooo! Someone save her! Oh why can't she see the car?" I screamed._

_The car was only a few feet away from her. Tears flooded my eyes as I stood frozen. A moment too late, she turned to look and gasped. The car hit her head on._

_One of her high heels flew up in the air as people around her screamed in surprise. She hit the floor with a thud. Blood pooled around her head as she layed motionless. NO! This can't be happening. Not again._

_Wake up! Please wake up! I pleaded. This is just a nightmare! It's not real!_

_I held on to my head and fell to the ground. Pain seered through my chest as if my heart was breaking. I looked up to the sky as the clouds began to darken._

_"AHHH!" I screamed._

_My heart shattered into a million pieces and I sobbed uncontrollably. This wasn't supposed to happen. I never intended to harm her. I just wanted to be set free. It was my fault she was in that coma._

_A light illuminated the dark sky. A familiar voice fluttered around me._

"Sakuya wake up! Its just a dream," he insisted.

_K-kaoru? I looked around me and felt pain stab my chest once more. Tears streaked my face._

_I gasped and reached out for that voice. The one that could save me. My little girl self came out of hiding with tears in her eyes. She looked down at my mother and stroked her blood soaked hair. No emotion played on her face._

(BTW little Sakuya never did the above about stroking her mom's hair. In fact, she didn't even know that the above happened until her father found her and told her the news. Its just a way to make it more dramatic and showing how Sakuya sort of broke apart and it transformed her whole cheerful persona to deep sadness which made her enter a depression era.^-^' Sorry for the explanation. I just wanted to make it clear.)

_"I'm sorry. I never meant to put you in a coma. Won't you please forgive me?" she...I asked._

Kaoru called my name once more._ He sounded frantic. I needed to get up. I wrapped my arms around me and closed my eyes tight. I felt the tears continue to form._

Warmth enveloped me as I felt strong arms hold me tight. I slowly opened my eyes.

Sakuya wouldn't stop coughing. He shut his eyes and captured her in his arms. He hugged her tightly and it seemed like she was calming down. The coughing stopped and she drowsily opened her eyes. He stroked her wet hair and cradled her in his arms.

"Shh. It's okay. It was only a dream. You're okay," he cooed.

She looked up at him with the look of still being out of it. Must have had to do with the fever. He looked down at her tear streaked eyes and brushed away the stray tears.

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. It all made sense now. Her mother was in a coma due to being a victim of a hit and run driver. She seemed to believe it was her fault.

Kaoru held her tighter. She must have suffered so much living without her mother. Sweat trickled down her forehead. He grabbed a towl from her bed and dabbed her sweat away. He looked down to see Sakuya looking up at him with sparkling eyes and a heavenly smile.

"Kaoru. So kind and caring. The most wonderful guy I've ever met. You are my prince, my knight. Always there to rescue me," she babbled truthfully.

She hugged him tightly and promptly fell back asleep. His body flushed red from head to toe. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her.

He felt his heart would explode and knew that he could no longer hold his tongue. He moved his lips to her ear. She stirred slightly.

"I love you," he whispered.

Kaoru then slowly moved his head so that he was facing Sakuya's pretty face. He bent his head and cupped her chin to face upward. He carressed her lips with his thumb. Eyes closed, a butterfly found its flower and kissed its petals. It stood there for not much longer than a minute.

Kaoru pulled away slowly and felt his cheeks warm. He once more stroked her hair and just looked at her with a transfixed sensation.

The spell was broken when his cell phone began vibrating violently. He pulled back from Sakuya and walked outside her room. He pressed the okay button, but had a pretty good idea who it was.

"Hey Hikaru," Kaoru greeted shakily.

Hikaru found this odd. He wasn't sure why, but it felt like something big had just happened moments before he called.

"Where are you? Its late and tomorrow's a school night. What happened?" he asked.

Kaoru then explained that he was staying over at Sakuya's house because Yoneko ran out on him saying she had to leave for a family emergency.

"Are you telling me you're all alone with Sakuya?" Hikaru demanded.

Kaoru winced and hesitantly approved the information.

"Don't worry. I'll be home tomorrow. Everything's fine over here. What? Are you worried I'm going to take advantage of Sakuya?" Kaoru teased half heartedly.

Hikaru explained that it wasn't the case.

"I'm just worried. You better take good care of her. We need her to get better fast. Everyone misses her. Oh, by the way. Haruhi's visiting Sakuya tomorrow. I bet she can help Sakuya out better. Well, see you tomorrow and don't stay up too late," insisted Hikaru.

Kaoru chuckled and ran a hand through his hair as he leaned on the wall.

"Yes mother. Anyway, 'night," concluded Kaoru.

Hikaru growled, but he knew Kaoru was just teasing.

"Yeah. 'Night," ended Hikaru.

Kaoru closed his cell phone and slid to the ground. He buried his face in his hands. He sighed as he realized deep down he was being selfish. Kaoru couldn't believe he had just claimed Sakuya's first kiss without her knowing it. Or would she? All he knew was that this was a secret he would have to keep for a very long time.

A week had gone by and after much rest, I had finally come back to school. A wide smile was planted on my face as I skipped along to homeroom. I waved happily to everyone that I knew.

"Sakuya! You're back! Are you feeling better?" asked one of my fans.

I beamed up at him and giggled.

"I'm at the top of my game. Healthy as ever!" I explained.

He blushed and looked ready to pass out. Life started to look a lot brighter since I had gotten over my bronchitis. I walked into class beaming. I jerked the door opened and walked in waving.

"Good morning everyone! It's such a beautiful day, is it not?" I asked.

The entire class looked over in surprise as they all crowded me.

"Sakuya-chan! You're alright," they all said with relief.

I practically skipped to my seat beside Haruhi.

"Morning Haruhi!" I said cheerfully.

She looked over at me and smiled. She clicked her mechanical pencil.

"You're happy today. I'm glad to see you're feeling better," she said sincerely.

I smiled and slowly my super hyperness faded. I took out my notebook where the majority of my homwork had been completed.

"Thank you so much for the notes Haruhi," I thanked her.

She nodded just as the twins walked in. Hikaru greeted me with a hug from behind.

"Looks like our doll had come back from the toy hospital and ready to be played with," Hikaru teased.

I sighed and shook my head. The same as always. Kaoru walked over cautiously and smiled down at me. I smiled back up.

"Oh, hey Kaoru. I heard from Yoneko that you stayed with me overnight when she was away. That was real nice of you," I said with appreciation.

He smiled over modestly as he took a seat near me. Hikaru walked over to Haruhi to talk about a homework assignment he needed her help on. Kaoru lightly tapped my shoulder.

I looked over in wonder. His face gave off a pink tint, but I ruled it out to be my imagination.

"So, hey. About what Yoneko said about me coming over, did you remember anything that happened that day?" he asked.

I regarded him with a questioning glance.

"What do you mean? The most I remember was going to sleep before you came to see me. Did I do something weird? I apologize for anything I did while I was semi-lucid. Just erase it from your memory," I responded.

I turned to look away, but but caught a slight glimpse of utterly cherry colored face. Was he mad? No. It was more like he embarrassed.

I blushed slightly at the thought of what I must have done to make him look at me like that.

"No it's nothing. I must have been half asleep or something. Must have just dreamt it," he said while laughing it off.

I smiled and was just glad I was finally able to come back. It was weird to say, but I missed the guys while I was sick.

I was so glad to be back, that I almost went up and hugged Ryan. I immediately took it back as I saw his eyes linger on me, which in turn made me a bit uneasy. Hikaru glared over at Ryan and had Kaoru sit beside me to keep him from coming any closer. I just shook my head and tried to bite back my laughter.

My mind never even drifted towards the text message my father had sent me ten days back.


	13. Chaos Ensues!

**Yukihime211 here! AH! I'm finally finished! I'm sorry for such a long delay! I'm really trying to update more, but for those who know me, know I love writing long chapters. I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer:Do not own Ouran. All I own are my OC's. Sorry if some of the Ouran characters are a bit OOC.**

Chapter 13

Chaos Ensues

I arrived to Music Room 3 with a sort of bounce in my step. It had been a while and I was glad to be back. I entered the room and my upperclassmen greeted me rather...warmly. Hunny with his dark brown eyes and light brown hair came bounding over happily like the usual hyper bunny. He ran into my arms and hugged me tightly.

"Saa-chan!" he cried out.

I giggled and hugged him back.

"Hi to you too Hunny," I greeted.

Mori nodded over at me. I smiled and bowed slightly. I heard distinct running and steeled myself for the oncoming hug committee.

Tamaki with his violet colored eyes and light brown hair came charging at me. I sighed.

"Sakuya~!" he cried out happily.

He hugged me tightly and cuddled happily.

"Tamaki-senpai. Nice to see you again," I said in a muffled voice.

Tears streamed down his face in happiness as he was practically flying off the wall with hyperness. He let go and Kyoya greeted me with the usual coldness.

"I see you have recovered. Next time, instead of neglecting what I instructed, you'd best listen to it. We can't handle such an inconvenience to occur once again," Kyoya noted.

I flinched slightly and laughed nervously. He seemed in a good mood. I nodded.

"Sure. I promise," I pledged.

He looked down at me with doubt, but dropped the subject soon after. I was about to take my rightful seat on the couch, when Hunny stopped me and Mori "dusted" it.

I cocked my head in wonder. What were they doing? Hunny smiled up at me.

"To make sure you don't catch any bugs!" he explained cheerfully.

Oookay... I thought nothing of it and summed it up to the two being weird. I took a seat and settled in. The twins sat on either side of me while the others took their seats wherever it was open.

Haruhi stood and was making her way to the kitchen, when she glanced back. I looked up in acknowledgement.

" I'm on my way to the kitchen to make tea. Do you guys want something to drink?" she asked.

It wasn't like she was being considerate, more like if she was going there, might as well take our orders now instead of having to go back for something. We all agreed.

"Coffee," chorused the majority of the club members.

Of course, Hunny and myself excluded.

"Do you think we might still have some soda?" I asked.

Haruhi nodded and went towards the kitchen as the others got themselves situated.

She arrived back shortly with my soda, the guys' coffee, and Hunny's milk tea. I smiled gratefully at her and she nodded as she passed me the diet drink.

I sighed and took the can and pushed in the tab. I smiled and tipped the can slowly into my mouth, when Hunny snatched the soda from my hand and threw it over his shoulder. The can landed directly into the trash can.

Okay. Usually I can handle cute people like Hunny doing "nice" deeds, but this was just getting pretty annoying.

"What are you doing?" I asked through clenched teeth.

I was feeling pretty pissed. My hands were clenched tight and I was shaking. He handed me a cup filled with orange juice. I stared at it with a slight frown on my face.

"It provides antioxidants to keep you nice and healthy," he explained.

It was then that I snapped. I rose from my chair and crossed my arms in frustration. I threw my hands up.

"That's it! What is going on? You've been acting **pretty** annoying with me with the whole 'dusting the couch' act and deliberately throwing away my soda! What gives?" I cried out.

He looked up at me with seriousness. His cutesy act was gone and in it, was one of deep concern.

"I don't want you to get sick again. I was so scared when you were unconscious. I thought we were going to lose you. I was just trying to keep it from ever happening again," he said.

He couldn't handle the serious act for long as tears poured down his cheeks as he ran forward and threw his arms around me.

He sobbed while holding on to me tightly. I sighed and stroked his light colored hair. My eyes blurred and tears were threatening to fall. I took a deep breath and felt my heart throb at his acts of kindness. He was so innocent like, yet he was older than me. At the moment, age really didn't matter.

"Okay. I'm sorry I yelled. I know you're worried, but that doesn't mean you have to be overly cautious. I've learned my lesson and I'll do my best to stay healthy," I explained.

Hunny smiled and dried his tears.

Well that little drama was over. The club members glanced over at me in curiosity.

"Now that your little episode is over, why don't we move on to more important matters," addressed Kyoya.

Yeah. Way to go and break the mood. Whatever. It wasn't like that was that much of a big deal.

I took my seat back on the couch and the meeting began.

Tamaki looked over at Hunny and Mori with teary eyes.

Haruhi and the others looked perfectly fine.

"Not to break the mood, but what's up with Tamaki?" I questioned.

Everyone looked at me for the first time with wide eyes.

"Wait. You don't know that Hunny and Mori are going to be off on a school trip to Russia?" asked Hikaru.

My eyes widened in surprise. I stood up abruptly from my seat.

"**Russia**?" I cried out.

Hikaru and Kaoru plugged their ears.

"Jeez! Do ya' have to scream so loud when you're right next to us?" they asked in unison.

I sat down and looked over at the third years with a slight hurt feeling.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I asked.

Hunny stood from his chair with a happy grin.

"But we did! Countless of times," insisted Hunny.

I frowned in confusion. They all looked at me with curiosity.

"Maybe the fever messed with me or something," I concluded.

I sighed and felt my spirits drop. Hunny patted my hand and hugged me. He looked up and smiled.

"Its okay. We'll be back in two weeks," he explained.

Fourteen days. What was I going to do without the third years? They were really the ones that kept the peace in the club when things got weird. Well, I was in the midst of wishing them well, when a very good question popped into my head.

"What about their customers? Are we closing the club since they're leaving?" I asked.

The twins grinned at the question. Haruhi stood beside me with the same questioning look. Seemed she was left out of the plan as well. Tamaki smiled as Kyoya smirked.

"You'll soon find out. Just wait until tomorrow. Now isn't it about time we all prepared for our guests?" said Kyoya cryptically.

I sighed and glanced down at my paper to see what the theme was for today.

I sighed once more. Where was summer vacation when you needed it?

***888

Hunny bounded home with Mori beside him. Consequently, Hunny had invited Mori over to discuss what was to be done tomorrow. Although everyone knew the plan, (besides Sakuya and Haruhi) there was still a bit of doubt that a certain someone was going to go along with the plan.

He knocked on a door with several "Keep Out" signs posted all over his wall. There was an exasperated noise from deep inside the room.

"What do you want?" asked and angered young man's voice.

Hunny didn't even flinch. He smiled the same as usual. He kicked the door open and walked in with the same grin.

***888

Walking through the hallways, I wondered what was going to happen now that the third years were leaving. I mean, it was such short notice and I was feeling sort of down. The others explained to me that they wouldn't be leaving until this afternoon. That really didn't leave me much time. Well, I decided on a few things after hearing those words yesterday.

A simple parting gift was in order. Nothing extravagant, just a small trinket I thought would suffice. I walked towards Music Room 3 with my mind set on handing them over before they left. Girls chattered as they all crowded around the outside door.

They must of heard the news. I rolled my eyes at them and made my way towards the club room, when a guy pushed me aside.

"Out of my way," he demanded.

I glared up at the guy, which I noticed was wearing the middle school uniform.

I frowned and crossed my arms. Who does he think he is? Talking that way to an upperclassmen. He sure had some nerve. He walked into the club room with girls blushing at the sight of him. I never really got a good look at him, but I did see his light brown colored hair and thick framed glasses. Although...He looked vaguely familiar.

I shrugged and I politely made my way through the crowd of girls waiting outside. As I walked through, a few girls pushed me aside and I was engulfed in a sea of what seemed like over fifty people. I gasped and grimaced as I felt my feet being stepped on. The girls were way too crowded. My vision was blurring as I thought about concerts.

This was like a mosh pit. Only there wasn't any dancing involved. Just screaming fan girls. So, this is the death I was going to go through? I could see the headlines now.

****

Uncanny Death At Ouran Academy: The Trouble With Female Teens and Bishonen

I felt the oxygen slowly become thinner. I closed my eyes and felt myself feel drowsier. That is, until I felt a tug on my arm. My eyes shot open as I looked up to see another guy in the middle school uniform. He pulled me out of the sea and threw me over his shoulder like I was a sack of potatoes. My face flushed as the girls moved out of his way. This guy was tall. All I could make out was his spiky black hair. He reminded me of Mori, only about the twins' height. I glanced down to make sure that my dress wasn't in any way out of place. He entered the club room with confidence as he placed me right back on the floor. I looked over to see the twins looking over at me in curiosity.

"What took ya' so long?" they questioned.

I glared over at them and pointed behind the closed doors.

"Oh, well lets see. First things first, let me just say that I almost got **trampled** and **suffocated **by a **sea** of your fan girls! If it wasn't for this guy, I could have died!" I erupted with anger as I pointed to the guy.

He looked down and smiled quite a refreshing smile. My eyes widened as I took a quick look over at Mori. The middle schooler had bangs that were rather long and a kendo stick in his right hand. He placed a hand behind his head with slight modesty.

"Gosh. It was nothing. Besides, a samurai must always safe the damsel in distress," he explained.

My mouth was agape as I looked from Mori to this guy.

"Are you Mori's little brother?" I asked with surprise.

His smile widened as he walked over to Mori with an adoring look.

"Hi Taka! Did you hear that? I saved her," he said waiting for Mori's approval.

Mori nodded and patted his little brother's head. I took that as a yes. The twins grinned at my shock.

"Wait until you see who else is here," they said with a devious voice.

It was like something out of a freaky show. A refreshing Mori...creepy. I walked towards Hunny who had his head turned away from me. He sat on the couch with Tamaki and Kyoya talking to a guy with light brown hair.

"This is stupid! I never volunteered to help out this...this **freak**," he indicated to Hunny.

I frowned. I barged into the conversation and took a seat on the couch with Tamaki and Kyoya looking at me in surprise. The jerk glared over at me with his arms crossed.

"Who's this chick?" he asked rudely.

Tamaki looked at him with wide eyes while Kyoya just sighed.

"Is that anyway of speaking to a young lady?" he demanded.

The glasses guy shrugged. I growled silently at him. I stood from my seat and walked over to him with anger flaming through my body.

I stood in front of him with my hand on my hips.

"**Excuse **me**.** **Little boy**. But don't you think that you should respect your **senpai** a little more?" I demanded.

He looked over at me in slight surprise.

That was when I got a good look at him. He had dark brown colored hair, brown eyes, and pretty tall. Glasses.

He stood up from the chair with his eyebrows furrowed with anger.

"Little? Who's the one standing below 5'5?" he screamed.

He got up in my face with a vein popping. I wasn't scared.

"Who are you anyway? Middle schoolers aren't allowed in the Host Club," I explained.

He turned away and sighed in exasperation. He fell back on the couch looking wiped out from the fight.

"Look. I don't even want to be here," he informed.

I peered at his face and noticed he was telling the truth. I dropped it and sat beside him quietly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you," I apologized.

He shook his head as if it didn't matter.

"Whatever," he answered.

I really didn't like his attitude. The twins sighed and grinned slightly.

"Geez Sakuya. You need to get a control over that anger of yours," teased Hikaru.

I crossed my arms but took the advice to heart. I glanced over at this guy.

"So, who are these two?" I questioned the others.

Haruhi entered the room with books in her hand. She looked from the senpais to the kohais.

"Did I miss something?" she questioned.

Kyoya smirked and sighed.

"You're late. But aside from that. We were just going to introduce our substitutes for Mori and Hunny," he explained.

She took a seat beside me and crossed her arms.

"This is going to be good," she said under her breath.

I giggled softly and nodded. The middle schoolers sat next to one another giving off completely different auras. While the guy with spiky hair was all beaming with happy goodness, the glasses guy was all dark with depression.

Hunny and Mori walked over and sat in opposite couches. My mind tried to process what I was seeing. Kyoya cleared his throat and everyone looked his way.

"Well, as you all know, Mori and Hunny are going to be leaving us for a while. Since the Host Club cannot function with only six members, we have called in suitable substitutes. I'd like you all to welcome Satoshi Morinozuka and...," he began.

What was with the susupense? Well, at least my hypothesis about Satoshi being Mori's brother was right. I sat there waiting to hear the name of the next guy. Haruhi looked rather appalled.

"What? That's Mori-senpai's little brother?" asked Haruhi in surprised.

It really wasn't that hard to tell, but whatever. Kyoya looked at her with a glare.

"Can I continue?" he asked with irritation.

She looked down and nodded. His salesmen smile replaced the cold one, but still gave off his usual scary aura. The twins snickered over at Haruhi. She just groaned and sighed.

"Shut up," she whispered.

Hunny smiled over at the glasses guy while he just glared at him. Did he have some sort of grudge against him? It sure looked that way from the way he was glaring. Actually, the small atmosphere was sort of tense.

"As I was saying, this is Yasuchika Haninozuka. Also known as Chika," he explained.

Hwa? My eyes practically popped out of my sockets at the realization. I crossed my arms and glared at the ceiling as I was slowly lost in thought.

How was it possible for two completely different people be related? It was like looking into an alternate universe where there was a happy-go-lucky Mori and a cold Hunny. That is if Hunny were more than six inches taller.

This was just getting better and better wasn't it? I wasn't sure this was going to work out. I mean, I knew that most guys at their age only thought of pulling pranks and impressing eachother with silly games like who is the big man on campus. At least that's how the guys were back in my old school.

Then again, the past six months that I had gone to Ouran Academy really showed that the majority of the guys were pretty well mannered. Maybe it seemed that way because I still haven't met the class D students.

A hand appeared in front of my face as it continued to wave frantically as if someone was trying to get my attention. Slowly, I immersed myself back into reality.

I blinked a couple of times and looked up to see Hikaru grinning with amusement.

"Glad to see you back from La La Land," he teased.

I frowned and rolled my eyes. I pushed back his hand and glanced at the others to see them looking at me intently. A sweatdrop formed at the back of my head.

"What?" I questioned.

Kyoya stepped out and a dark shadow loomed over him. His glasses gleamed ad his line of vision was clearly directed in my direction.

"Oh Sakuya? Have you forgotten why we are here today?" he asked.

I shut my eyes and turned away. Best not to look the demon lord in the eyes. I nodded and ran a hand through my hair absently.

"Now that the announcement has been made, we may now commence our going away party for Hunny and Mori-senpai," concluded Kyoya.

I my eyes opened slowly to take a quick peek to see if he was still looking at me with that death glare. Luckily, from what I saw, the look was gone.

I sighed in relief and smiled. I opened my eyes and stood from the couch as Hunny hopped over in my direction. He took a hold of my hand and pulled me to a table filled with countless of sweets.

Tamaki walked over with teary eyes. His handkerchief was rather moist from the looks of it. He must have been crying the whole time.

"Oh how my heart **throbs **with grief at the thought of you two leaving. You will be greatly missed," he passionately insisted.

There was silence across the room as everyone looked at him with pure seriousness.

"You sound as if we're at a funeral instead of a going away party," scoffed Hikaru.

Tamaki relinquished his sad exterior and he transformed it into an angry scowl.

"What do you mean? I was only expressing my great sadness to see our fellow senpais leave!" he said with indignation.

The majority of the members rolled their eyes at his simple mindedness. I shook my head and sat at the table.

"Forget about it. Let's just get on with the party," I said with a bored expression.

Hunny smiled and began eating his cake. Satoshi walked up to Mori with an adoring smile.

"I'll make you proud Taka!" he proclaimed.

Brother complex much? Mori just patted his head and nodded. Chika rolled his eyes and kept to himself like an antisocial freak. Yeah...I had a feeling that we weren't going to get along that well. I strolled on over towards him curiously. He had his arms crossed and it looked like he was pretty uncomfortable.

"Aren't you going to have some cake?" I questioned.

He crinkled his noise in distaste and shook his head.

"I **hate** sweets," he said with venom.

I blinked and took a step back in surprise. Satoshi walked over to Chika and whacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" he cried out.

Satoshi glared at him with his arms crossed.

"Respect your senpais," he commanded.

My gaze shifted away from the display of violence. I placed both hands in front of me and shook my head as I waved my arms.

"Its okay Satoshi-kun. It's not like he hurt my feelings or something. You don't have to be so rough with him," I insisted.

He shook his head and glared at Chika.

"For countless of generations, the Morinozukas have served the Haninozukas. It is my duty as a Morinozuka to see to making sure that he does not grow soft," he explained.

I looked at him blankly and glanced over at Hunny who was eating happily. I slowly turned back at him with unblinking eyes. I was a bit stunned. Kaoru chuckled slightly at my speechlessness.

"You say that, but what about this softy here?" questioned the twins.

Their thumb directed him to Hunny. Satoshi smiled and pointed towards Mori with admiration.

"I have faith in whatever Taka does is helping the heir of the Haninozukas. He is everything that a samurai is. I suspect he is the last in the entire world," he confessed.

What a weird little brother. I didn't fully understand what this had to do with anything, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

The twins looked rather irritated at the foolish brother and shook the contents of ketchup in his tea. My eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing?" I cried in shock.

Satoshi, oblivious to what was going on, took his cup and downed the whole thing in one gulp.

"Delicious," he commented.

He actually drank it? I felt the blood drain from my face as all I could think about was how... my stomach was doing flip flops at the sight. I shivered and looked away.

"Either he has no taste buds or he's a fool," noted Hikaru.

Kaoru sighed and shook his head.

"He's a fool," he explained.

I shook my head. They never changed did they? I glanced back at the door.

"Aren't we going to invite the fangirls? I mean there were like dozens of them just standing there," I pointed out.

Kyoya shook his head as he looked at his clipboard.

"We specifically told the girls that Hunny and Mori would have a public party after they came back from the trip," he explained.

I shook my head and crossed my arms. Hikaru rolled his eyes as his eyes flickered towards the door.

"Seems like they didn't get the memo," he said while crinkling his nose in annoyance.

His comment went unheard as everyone chatted with one another. Well, that is besides Chika. He was making me feel pretty uneasy.

I stood up from my chair and cleared my throat. The talking died down and everyone had their attention on me. I smiled slightly.

"I know this might not be the time, but I won't be able to see you off when you leave, so I decided it was best to just say this now," I began.

Everyone glanced at me curiously as Hunny smiled with encouragement.

"What is it Saa-chan?" asked Hunny.

I blushed lightly and took out two small gift bags. Hunny's smile brightened and Mori smiled ever so slightly.

"I want to give you this parting away gift. Its not much, but I think it might come in handy...or not," I explained.

Tamaki smiled over at me and hugged me tightly. Wha? I looked at him with wide eyes.

"Tamaki-senpai?" I questioned in wonder.

He sobbed loudly. I glanced at the others, but they just shrugged.

"You're such a nice person!" he cried out.

Yeah...He was having his moment again. He let go and blushed slightly as he realized that everyone looked over awkwardly. The twins looked at him with death glare eyes.

"Having fun Milord?" they questioned.

He flinched, and sidled away from their glare. I shook my head and outstretched my hand out to present the gifts to Mori and Hunny. They smiled with pleasure. A tiny box the size of my palm was slipped from its bag. They delicately opened the box as if the contents were made of glass and pulled out a cell phone charm. Their face brightened. Hunny had a cute white bunny with a carrot in hand, while Mori received a baby tiger. Hunny jumped from his chair and hugged me happily.

"Thanks Saa-chan!" he exclaimed.

I smiled as I looked up to see Mori smile down at me.

"Thank you," he answered.

A wave a joy washed over me as I felt that I had picked the right gift for the right moment. A slight blush overtook my cheeks as embarrassment was setting in.

"Ah, you're welcome," I replied.

I heard a resonate scoff and immediately, my eyes fell upon the ever enraging Chika. He had his right arm propping his head in a bored fashion. The twins looked over at him with an amused expression.

"What's with that tone?" questioned Kaoru.

Chika stood up straight in his chair and arched a brow in wonder.

"This so called display of affection just makes me want to puke," he informed.

Hunny detatched himself from me and looked over at his younger brother in curiosity. I crossed my arms and glared at him. Tamaki smiled nervously trying to pacify the others.

"Now now. Let's all settle down. Sakuya-chan, please calm yourself. He is just expressing his feelings," Tamaki explained.

I huffed and looked a way in annoyance. Kyoya sighed heavily.

"Honestly. We aren't children. Try to act your age," he muttered.

My glare flickered towards his direction, but it really didn't seem to bother him that much, which made me feel even more angered. I took a deep breath and stood from my seat. Everyone's eyes trailed over to me in curiosity.

"Where are you going?" questioned Hikaru.

I glanced back with a frown.

"I told you that I wouldn't be able to see Hunny and Mori-senpai off because I have a make up test to take," I explained.

The members looked up in surprise. With the exception of Kyoya and Mori. The twins stormed into my direction.

"Since when? We never heard about this," they reprimanded.

A slight smirk played on my lips. I turned away swishing my hips as I looked at the door. I turned my head to the right with the same devious look.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It just sort of slipped my mind," I mocked.

The twins stared with their mouth agape. Kyoya looked on with a shocked, but pleased expression. Hunny cheered as Mori nodded. Haruhi shook her head and Tamaki fainted on the spot. I waved and walked off as the room was filled with loud chatter.

***888

Chika looked over at this...rather annoying girl. He was a bit intruiged in the reaction the other members had given her when she showed that...sort of playful side. Hunny looked over at Chika with his usual smiling face.

"What are you thinking Chika? Have you accepted to become my subsitute?" Hunny questioned.

Chika scowled and glared. He shook his head as he made his way towards the door.

"Its not like I have a choice. At least I won't have to see your disgusting face for the next two weeks," he muttered.

The twins looked on with shock as Haruhi shook her head. Tamaki walked over to Chika with concern.

"How can you say that to your only brother?" questioned Tamaki.

Chika frowned and walked out of the room, but not before Satoshi smacked him with a wooden sword. He fell to his knees

"Ya-su-chi-ka!" he cried out.

The club members flinched and Kyoya shook his head. Chika flinched with hurt.

"If you're going to fight, please take it outside. You're liable to break something," Kyoya explained.

Tears bubbled at the corner of Chika's eyes and little yellow birdies circled around his head with tears in their eyes.

"S-stupid Satoshi. You're so mean," confirmed Chika.

The members closed in with curiosity, as Satoshi walked over with a guilty look on his face.

"I-I'm sorry Chika," began Satoshi.

Chika gasped and rubbed the tears from his eyes. He grimaced and stood up. He looked down at Hunny and pointed with fury.

"Anyway, there's no way that I'll ever become this idiots subsitute!" he cried out.

Satoshi looked over and anger and ran after him with his kendo wooden sword.

"Come back here!" he called out.

The room fell silent as everyone looked at one another.

"That was..." began Kaoru.

Hikaru sighed and looked out the door with a sort of blank expression.

"Weird," ended Hikaru.

Haruhi pondered Chika's last words with confusion.

_"Didn't he just say he would? I mean, Hunny isn't even going to be here,"_ she wondered.

Everyone continued on with their business as Tamaki gave Hunny a big slice of cake to keep him from depression. Haruhi looked on in wonder.

"I wonder why Chika-kun would act that way towards Hunny-senpai," she said aloud.

Mori looked over and sighed. It seemed that this wouldn't be resolved so easily. Ouran's private jet would be waiting outside in just a few short hours. Now was the time to bond with the others and say the proper goodbyes instead of worry about the complexity of Hunny and Chika's relationship. Mori walked over and sat beside Hunny while absently eating a big helping of cake.

The chatter died as everyone looked at him with wide eyes. He looked over with a sweat drop forming at the back of his head. Haruhi leaned over to Tamaki with questioning eyes.

"Is something the matter with Mori-senpai?" she questioned.

Tamaki looked down with the look of stupidity and shook his head.

"I have no idea. This is the first time I've seen him this way. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he'll miss us!" contemplated Tamaki.

The twins shook their head and crossed their arms. Haruhi watched with curiosity as Hunny ran up to Mori in a way that made him look rather concerned for what was playing in his best friend's mind.

"What a prat. It obviously has to do with the way Chika was treating Hunny. What else is new?" explained the twins.

Tamaki snarled at the twins in insulting his intelligence. Haruhi sighed and shook her head once more.

***888

As I entered the testing room, my eyes fell upon the sole person sitting on one of the desks. I paled at the sight. Ryan looked over at me and smirked. Just my luck! What was going on? Don't tell me that he had to take the make up test too? I felt like slamming my head against a desk again.

He walked over with his usual cocky aura. I shifted my line of vision and immediatly felt like running. Not like I could though, because at that moment, the teacher walked in. He looked down at me curiously.

"Mazaki-san, is there something the matter?" he questioned.

I shook my head and tried my hardest to come up with something to say. I came up blank and walked back to a desk as far away from Ryan as possible.

The teacher wore thick rimmed glasses with silvery eyes and messy reddish hair. He was pretty lanky for a teacher as he only stood at 5'7. Actually, speaking of which, this was the first time I had ever seen him. I shrugged as he passed out the test and walked back to the front of the room. He looked down at his rather expensive looking watch.

He looked up and smiled warily.

"You may begin the test," he signaled.

With my pencil in hand, I went right to work. With all the concentration I could muster up, I tried my hardest not to think about the annoying Ryan.

Everything was going fine, until the worst possible thing happened. It seemed that Sensei here was drinking a mocha and just so happened to spill it all over his rather expensive looking pants. He stood up abruptly.

"Ah geez. I don't even have napkins," he muttered.

I chuckled softly. What a scatterbrained teacher. He looked up at me and gave a strained smile.

"Forgive me, but I need to step out for a moment. Could I entrust you in being in charge while I'm gone?" he questioned.

What? My eyes widened in surprise. He decided my silence meant I didn't mind and he took his leave. The door shut and I glanced over at Ryan who smirked over in my direction. An uneasy feeling washed over me. He stretched like a cat and yawned.

"So, its just you and me," he commented.

I ignored him and continued on with my work. He sat backwards on the chair and rested his chin on the top part of the chair. I shook my head and concentrated on the test.

"Hm. What year did Perry and the Black Ships land on Japan?"

I chewed warily on the pencil as I tried to search for the answer to this question. History was never my fortay. It was just so...boring. I had managed to get decent notes, but at the moment, my train of thought was being distracted by the fact that a certain someone was drilling holes into my head. I looked up with a glare and crossed my arms.

"Do you mind?" I questioned.

He just shrugged and continued staring at me. It was really uncomfortable. I continued on with the test, until I finally gave up. I slammed my hand on the desk and stood from my chair.

"Look, I just want to finish this test. I mean, you have to take it too, so you should probably get back to your test. If the teacher walks in, he'll think we're cheating or something," I explained.

He shrugged once more.

"I don't really give a damn what the teacher thinks. I just want to be near you," he answered.

I set my pencil down and rubbed my temples. This wasn't getting me anywhere. I grabbed my things and moved to a different desk. and glared down at him. He looked more amused than annoyed and thought this was a game. So, like a sort of mutated dog he followed suit. Yeah, I know I'm coming off as a jerk, but what can I say? He was just being plain annoying and all I really wanted to do was finish the stupid test and get out of here fast before any real damage was done.

"Could you just leave me alone?" I pleaded.

He just took my test and flung it over his shoulder. My cheeks burned with frustration. I stood from my chair and brushed passed him. He took a hold of my fore arm and pulled my into his chest. I gasped and looked up at his expressionless face. It flickered into one of was this?

"Can't you just let me have this one moment. I don't have that much time left on this world," he explained.

My eyes widened as my jaw dropped. I looked up at him with concern. My heart pounded with fear.

"Are you telling me that you're...dying?" I whispered.

He leaned close to me and flicked my forehead. A smirk played on his lips as he drew me closer.

"Just kidding," he murmured.

With great impact, his lips crashed into my own. I winced and felt frozen in place. I snapped back into reality when I felt his hands snake across my waist as he pulled me closer.

I bit his lip hard. He pulled away enough for me to get away. My cheeks reddened as I finally detangled myself from Ryan. I staggered to the ground in shock as I touched my injured lips.

He smirked at my reaction and touched his own lips. He wiped the bit of blood and gently kissed his blood stained finger. He left the room with approval. I grabbed my test and ridgidly finished it. I set down the test and sat at my seat as the teacher entered in confusion and looked around.

"Where is Ryan-kun?" he questioned.

My mind felt blank, but I somehow answered his question.

"He left. There was a family emergency," I explained.

He shook his head and took my test. I glanced up at the clock to see I had been in here for almost two hours. Did it really take a him that long to find some napkins? Wait...did I sort of space out and finish the test and didn't even realize it? The teacher looked at me with slight concern.

"Is everything alright Mazaki-san?" he wondered.

I nodded and walked out of the room only to bump into Yamato Tsukushima. He smiled down at me and helped up from the ground.

"Hi Yaya!" he greeted.

I wasn't really in the mood, but waved and said a small hello. He gazed at my face with a puzzeled look. He scratched the back of his light brown hair and looked really confused.

"Not to pry, but are you okay? You look sort of out if it. Besides the fact, what happened to your lip?" he questioned.

I gasped and brought my hand to my mouth. The question made me replay what had occurred in the testing room.

His lips tasted of coffee... GAH! I shook my head to shake off the thought. Yamato looked at me in amusement.

"You make the silliest of faces. Kind of refreshing!" he explained.

I glared at the thought and he looked over in surprise. He looked at me nervously. Must of thought I was glaring at him.

"S-sorry," he apologized.

I sighed and shook my head.

"No. It's okay. I wasn't glaring at you. I just had something on my mind," I explained.

His easy going smile returned. He looked over innocently

"What was on your mind?" he asked.

The scene replayed once more in my mind. My face became warm with frustration.

"GAH! I can't take this anymore!" I cried out.

I zoomed off leaving a speechless Yamato. I sped off in my car and arrived home. The minute I entered, I locked myself in my room.  
***

Yamato was speechless at Sakuya's actions. It was far from what he usually glimpsed at when he was her customer. She always seemed calm and collected. He wondered what it could be as he walked off to the track.

The twins, Kyoya, and Tamaki walked beside eachother as buses began loading for the third years to set off towards the airport. Tamaki had been crying hysterically while the twins grinned with pleasure. Kyoya was rather elated. As Hunny's sweet tooth would no longer be weighing down the club income.

Haruhi sighed. She had a feeling the minute the plane set off that chaos would take over their lives. Sure, it might have not seemed like it, but Hunny's bright personality usually helped out whenever there was trouble. As for Mori, he could always break a fight if there were ever a situation where the twins were to fight.

Not that she doubted Kyoya's help, but she had a feeling that he would be part of the cause from what she was seeing these past weeks. Hunny waved with Mori waving beside him.

"Bye guys! Takashi will bring back some gifts for you!" Hunny called out.

A sweatdrop formed on the back of Mori's head. Poor guy. Haruhi and the others waved as the bus pulled out. She was going to miss these guys.  
***

I hadn't slept a wink last night. Everytime I tried to fall asleep, my blood would boil as I kept replaying the stupid kiss. How was I going to get through the day when I was going to have to see him again.

I slowly got out of bed and walked into my bathroom to shower. Warm water massaged my wories away. It was too bad the nice luxury would have to end and then, my stress would once again rule my life. School was once my safe haven, but now it was starting to look like my downfall. My feet padded softly onto my fluffy carpet as I walked to to my closet where my uniform was neatly hanging. I tightened my bathrobe and shivered.

The car stopped at the entrance of the school and with caution, I stepped out. There was no way I would be able to handle seeing that kiss theif. It was my first kiss! How dare he! Argh! I felt like pulling at my hair in frustration. A few people around me looked at me curiously.

Paranoia had gotten the best of me as my eyes shifted from side to side to make sure that I wasn't being followed. I entered the classroom, and thankfully, I was the first one there. So far so good. I grinned and was about to walk to my seat, when two hands popped out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around my shoulders.

"Eee!" I cried out.

My heart felt like it was going to explode as I slowly turned around and realized it was only the twins. They looked at me with a startled expression. Hikaru looked at me a huge grin.

"I would have expected you to be used to this already," he teased.

I shook his hand off and laughed nervously.

"Sorry. I'm a little jumpy," I explained.

Kaoru looked over at me with concern. He tilted his head slightly.

"What's up Sakuya?" he questioned.

I shook my head and plastered on a smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

He took a hold of my hand and examined it with quite an intense look. I looked away as I scanned the area once more.

"Your hand is shaking like crazy," he informed.

Crap. My own body betrayed me! Here I thought I could pull off hiding my feelings. I pulled my hand away from his grasp and placed both hands behind my back.

"I'm just cold," I fibbed.

That got both the twins going. Hikaru felt my forehead with concern.

"You're coming down with a cold or something?" the two questioned.

Great. I just can't win. I shook my head and backed away from them.

"N-no. It's nothing like that," I assured.

They looked at me with suspicion. I looked away and took my seat. Haruhi entered and looked around curiously.

"Hey guys," she greeted.

The matter was dropped as the twins walked over to Haruhi contemplating what they knew was in store for today's Cosplay. I shook my head and tried my hardest to calm my nerves. Suddenly, chills ran down my back as I realized that he had entered the room. A flock of girls went to his side cooing at him.

"Hi Ryan~," they chorused.

I felt like gagging. Please. They're worse than when they're with the host club. A girl looked up at him with concern.

"What happened to your lip? Did you get into a car accident?" she questioned.

He smirked and I jolted slightly. He was not going to bring that up.

"Nah, nothing like that. More of a reminder of a mission accomplished," he explained vaugely.

His eyes traveled over to me and my body immediately reacted on instinct. I hid behind Kaoru with my back facing his back. I covered my mouth and stood perfectly still. Curiously, Hikaru looked at me and wondered about my curious behaviour.

Ryan strutted passed the girls and headed in our direction. I froze in place. He passed us and I sighed in relief. There was a small tug on my hair and I was face to face with Ryan. He placed the bit of hair up to his nose as he inhaled slightly.

"Nice hiding place," he teased.

I slapped away his hand and latched myself onto Kaoru. A sneer adorned Hikaru's face.

"Stop wasting your breath on her. She clearly hates you," he spat.

Ryan just looked over at me with a smug expression. He looked into my eyes so intently, I had to turn away. My pale cheeks flushed with confusion. Of course this went unnoticed by my fellow club mates.

"Did something happen that I should be aware of?" questioned Haruhi.

***888

Something was definitely up with Sakuya. Kaoru could feel it as the obnoxious stalker passed by. He must have done something to her. But what? Her cheeks darkened slightly.

His eyes widened. Was she in love with Ryan? Sakuya looked down as she kept her grip on Kaoru's arm. She looked more at him with fear than love, but then again he wasn't too sure. The bell rang and everyone walked back to their seats.

Chika sat at his desk in an irritated manner. The girls around him were giggling about nonsensical matters and was fed up. As for Satoshi, he was talking up a storm with some of the classmates about an upcoming Kendo match.

He was not looking forward to going to that stupid club. Trying to please a bunch of giggling girls just wasn't him. He'd much rather stuff his face with cake. But, really, did he have a choice? He sighed and looked over his math work.

One of his classmates walked over to him with a pleading look.

"Hey, Yasuchika, could you let me copy your answer for number 7 on last night's homework? I was watching this one program on soccer and forgot to finish it," he explained.

Chika glared over at him and he backed up instantly.

"You can just skip lunch and finish it yourself," he snarled.

The girls looked at him with pity. One of the guys shook his head.

"Poor Michi-kun. We should have warned him about Chika. His older brother Hunny is so cute and sweet. Its a wonder how the two could be related," a redhead whispered.

Chika stood from his seat and slammed his work on Michi's desk. The others looked up with startled expressions.

"Here! I'll give them to you if you never speak his name again in my presence," he growled.

His classmates shivered in fear. Satoshi glanced over at Chika.

"Chill out. Why are you always so volatile?" he questioned.

Chika shook his head. No matter how many times he told this big **oaf**, he never got it. He decided it would be best not to bring it up anymore.

***888

After class...

The twins, Haruhi and I walked to the music room for the first time without hearing the usual chatter of Hunny. It was kind of...lonely. The doors opened and we walked in to find that the middle schoolers were waiting patiently on the couch with Tamaki going on and on about the rules of the host club.

Which was weird, since I didn't even know we actually had rules. We sat on the chair and looked over with interest.

"One must always be calm and courteous to the young ladies," Tamaki informed.

Chika looked over with a glare. This was going to be quite amusing to watch. Satoshi nodded and took notes with care. It was pretty comical.

"Any questions?" asked Tamaki.

Satoshi's hand shot up. Tamaki nodded in his direction. The twins yawned and stood from their chair. This was getting boring...and fast.

"What if-" began Satoshi.

The twins intervened and glimmered their trademark grin. I sighed. This was going to be a long day...

During club hours...

The girls arrived giddy as could be when they entered the club room. Younger men had entered the club as subsitutes. They were the younger brothers of the original hosts no less. They squealed and admired their physique. Chika just rolled his eyes while Satoshi smiled his easy going smile.

Hunny's usual customers rushed into Chika's direction. They giggled.

"Eee. Our first time seeing a grown up Hunny!" they squealed.

Chika twitched at the name. He adjusted his glasses and glared over at them. They shook in fear, but cautiously took their seats. The girls accomidated themselves around him and nervously looked for a way to break the tension.

"Would you like a piece of cake Chika-kun?" questioned one of the girls.

He crinkled his noise in disdain.

"I **detest **sweets," he muttered.

The girls gasped. Tears bubbled at the brim of their tear ducts. I groaned. They should have gone with Satoshi. The twins snickered. Tamaki immediately rose from his seat with Kyoya at his side.

"Please do not cry my ladies! All of you are much more beautiful when you're smiling," explained Tamaki.

Cheesiness galore! The girls blushed madly. Kyoya scribbled some stuff in his notebook and smiled over at the girls.

"Please forgive Yasuchika's rudeness. I must take into account that there will be some rearranging. Please follow me so that I might find you a more suitable host," Kyoya intervened.

The girls followed him over to Satoshi's station, where the usual shy girls were looking rather uncomfortable. They exchanged girls and everyone was happy. At least for a while.

A few girls looked over in Chika's direction with disappointment.

"It's a shame. Chika looks so much like Hunny, that I kind of wish he was a little nicer. He would definitely have my heart," said a girl

The girls nodded.

"Why can't he act like his brother? I hope Hunny will one day grow up to look just like him," another girl whispered.

I glanced over in Chika's direction where girls were blushing at his "manliness" whatever that means. Haruhi sighed.

"Isn't Hunny supposed to be the elder brother? I doubt he'll grow anymore," she whispered.

Chika shook with anger at the "whispering" the girls were going on about his brother. The twins walked over to my station.

"Looks like Chika's going to explode any minute now," surveyed Kaoru.

Hikaru sighed and shook his head.

"What do you expect. The way the girls are going on about him and his brother must seriously piss him off," noted Hikaru.

Wait...Was that why he was acting so cold to his brother? He must have hated being compared to him because he felt...inferior?

Chika slammed his hand on the table and rose from his chair. The girls looked up at him with startled expressions.

"Enough!" he growled.

Everyone's attention was directed at him as the room fell silent. His face flushed and he charged out of the room. Tamaki stood from his seat to follow, but was stopped by Satoshi.

"Wait. Let him go. He just needs to blow off some steam," explained Satoshi.

The doors opened and in entered Ryan. My jaw dropped and a blush crossed my face. The others looked curiously in my direction. My flight or fight instincts kicked in full on as I flushed and ran past them.

"I'll be taking my break now in search for Chika!" I called back.

A flash of brown hair across a corner. Taking that as a sign, I followed close by. When he finally did come to a stop, I noticed that we had somehow gotten outside. Trees branched out all around and other various flowers sprung from every direction.

We had entered the garden. Chika took a deep breath and shook his head. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He flipped his cell phone open and his eyes shone with happiness. I looked over in surprise. I inched closer to see a glimpse of a baby chick. Hm...So he liked cute things too.

I tapped him on his shoulder and he turned abruptly with his silly grin. It immediatley dissipated as he saw me. He frowned.

"What do you want?" he sneered.

I sighed and took a seat beside him. I peeked over my bangs. He had a flustered look on his face.

"So...you like baby animals?" I questioned.

He jumped at the question. He glared over trying to cover his tracks.

"W-what do you mean? Ha! You must need your eyes checked or something. What would ever give you that idea?" he questioned.

I shook my head and I took a hold of his glasses. He looked at me with confusion. I stared up at his eyes. They were a pretty caramel color. I guess he did look a bit like Hunny. I shook my head.

"Save it, Chika-kun," I breathed.

He looked even more angered.

"And another thing! Who gave you permission to call me 'Chika'?" he cried.

I looked over at him and in took a deep breath.

"Shut up! Just listen for a second!" I cried out.

He immediately stopped talking and looked at me with shock. Looked to me like he'd never been yelled at by a girl. I nodded and smiled over in his direction.

"Look. Just drop the act. I saw that picture just now. So what if you like cute animals? Its not going to kill you or anything. On another matter, you have pretty eyes, so I don't understand why you would hide them under those glasses. I think you can see perfectly clearly without them," I noted.

He sighed in defeat and shook his head. I tilted my head slightly to better assess what was going through his mind.

"Is it so that your similarities with Hunny-senpai irritate you?" I questioned.

He ran a hand through his hair with frustration.

"Its not that. These are prescripiton lenses that make the world around me look blurry. So I don't have to look at that...that alien directly in the face," he explained.

Alien? What did he mean by that? I scratched the back of my head in confusion.

"Hunny an alien?" I said out loud with awe.

This had to be a joke. I giggled softly at the idea but stopped when I saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"Sorry. So how would you say Hunny is an alien?" I asked.

He sighed and went into a lengthy discussion about Hunny eating over the top amounts of sweets, which actually sounded a bit disturbing.

"I mean, for a while we got along, but then some idiot told him that he should be true to himself and went all crazy! His obsession with stuffed animals is autrious! Not only that, he ate a whole cake by himself even after dinner! He talks to his stuffed bunny as if it were real! I think he even uses that as a communication device to talk to his alien friends!" he exclaimed.

He panted with exaustion. I stood from the bench and took a hold of his shoulders to push him back down.

"Okay! Okay! Calm down," I commanded.

His breathing became normal once more. I sat there taking in the comments he had just spouted. I guess he had a point, but I would never call Hunny an alien.

"Now do you understand?" he questioned.

I nodded slightly. I looked around my surroundings and heard the sweet chirping of baby robins. The lilac streaked flowers glimmered under the sun.

"I see your point. Yet, I don't really feel like you really mean it. You probably respect him a lot. I mean, sure he may be strange, but aren't we all?" I questioned.

He looked at me silently. I think maybe I was getting through to him. He chuckled softly.

"I know you are," he whispered.

I looked at him with mock hurt and pushed him slightly. He arched his eyebrow and was very unimpressed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned.

He just shook his head and lightly pushed me. I was shocked to nearly fly off the bench. He snickered softly.

"Weakling," he insulted.

I looked at him with twitching brows and crossed my arms.

"Oh really? I might be a weakling, but I've got other traits that make up for it," I explained.

He chuckled and looked over rather playfully.

"And that would be?" he wondered.

A light smirk adorned my lips as I drew nearer. He looked over with slight confusion on what was about to occur. I sat beside him and fluttered my eyes in his direction. He began to look rather uncomfortable. I mustered up the sweetest smiled I could and flashed it in his direction. I cocked my head slighty and giggled softly. His face reddened severely. Now for the main course. I puckered my lips slightly and leaned my head closer to his. He looked almost ready to pass out at this moment. His whole body was flushed. Just as our lips were a few centimeters away, I aimed at his cheek and planted a soft kiss.

I pulled back to see my handiwork. His caramel colored eyes widened and for a while, he was speechless.

"Wu-Agh...Hya?" he exclaimed.

Hysterics got the best of me as I laughed out of control. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I slowly calmed down. After a few minutes he recovered. He glared over at me with a light blush on his face.

"Got ya'," I teased.

He shook his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe I let my guard down in front of a girl," he muttered.

I giggled.

"Believe it," I quipped.

He just glared in my direction. I knew he really wasn't that mad. I glanced over at him nonchalantly.

"So, Chika-kun, what's your favorite animal?" I questioned.

He tried to keep his cool, until I pulled out a cute charm I bought for my phone of a baby chick coming out of its egg shell. His eyes sparkled and his hand flew out to grab it. I pulled it away abruptly and looked over with the same vacant stare.

"Chicks! Baby chicks! Now give me that charm!" he cried out.

I complied and handed it to him. He put on a goofy smile and looked at it in awe. So this was his true character. I had to admit that it was kind of cute. Like a little kid.

"You must really like it huh? Well, I guess I'll just give it to you. Besides, I bought two just in case," I explained.

He unlatched his gaze from the baby chick and looked over in my direction with a gentle smile. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Thanks. Hey, Mazaki-" he began.

I interrupted and shook my head.

"Call me Sakuya," I insisted.

His cheeks reddened slightly, but he retained his usual cool demeanor.

"Fine. S...Saku..ya? Sakuya-san...Listen I just-" he began once again.

The garden doors burst open as Satoshi entered. He glared over at Chika and smacked him upside the head with his kendo stick.

"Geez! I was looking all over for you! Your customers are waiting for you!" he exclaimed.

I looked down to see Chika lying with a vein popping on the side of his head. I kneeled down and outstretched my hand for him to take. His anger subsided slightly as he looked at my hand with a curious look. He face flushed and he stood up by himself.

"I can get up by myself. I'm not an infant," he scoffed.

I chuckled softly. He was embarrassed. How cute. Satoshi almost came in for a second round of beatings, until I stopped him.

"Take it easy Satoshi-kun. It's okay," I insisted.

The three of us slowly walked back to music room 3.

***888

Hikaru glared daggers at Ryan, which wasn't that intimidating. At least not for him. Kyoya looked on curiously. He rather enjoyed watching Hikaru go at it with Ryan. It was amusing.

Tamaki looked on with his usual stupidity of not wanting to hand over Sakuya.

As for Haruhi, she could care less. Although that still didn't mean she liked him. He was someone that Sakuya feared and felt it better for not to get too close to him.

Kaoru knew something was up by the way Sakuya kept avoiding Ryan. He was determined to find out what was going on.

"Haven't you had enough humiliation? Why don't you just leave her alone?" demanded Hikaru.

Ryan smirked evilly.

"Really? Is that what you think? I would say otherwise. Seeing as we've already **kissed**," he hinted.

The club members looked on with horror.

"What?" cried out the twins, Tamaki and Haruhi.

The door clicked open and in came Satoshi, Chika, and Sakuya.


	14. Author's notesnippet of ch 14

**Yukihime211 here! Sorry! This isn't chapter 14. A bit of an authors note. Well, its almost going to be a year since I first started this story. It makes me happy to see so many people keeping up with the story even when I have inconsistent updates. Chapter 14 will be up before the end of the month! But anyway, that's not what I'm here to talk about.**

**I've been thinking about this for a while. I know I'm probably asking way too much of my readers, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested in drawing a sketch or picture of Sakuya. Sort of like a contest. The winner will be able to submit an OC into the story, although it will be a cameo appearance, unless I change my mind.**

**I have an account on youtube Yukihime211. Yeah, not very creative. So please send a vid or pic of Sakuya. I'll probably make a video and then you can post it as a response. Thanks for reading! Here's a little snippet of what is to come in the next chapter! ^o^ Some of the snippets not make sense, but it will once you read the chapter, the pieces will fall into place.**

"Heh. Great idea with tearing the little 'family' apart, 'cuz," thanked Ryan.

A small chuckle was audible from the speaker.

"It was rather simple really. Just your average teenage angst can make the time worthwhile," explained Yuichi.

The two smirked and hung up. Ryan walked nonchalantly out of the school and into a black car as it drove off towards his cousin's estate.

/

I fell to my knees and felt the tears spill down my cheeks freely. Who could have sent this message? Who could have known? I had never told anyone about it, so who could it have been?

Shivers ran down my back and I wrapped my arms around my shoulders. I rested my head on the wall and sat there limply as my mind wandered to the message my father had sent me. The anniversary.

/

"Why can't we just ask Sakuya directly. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to answer this question, which I think is pretty stupid."

"When have you ever known Sakuya to straight up just say the truth? She's always so secretive. What do we really know about her? Just that her dad is freaky, her mom is likely dead or divorced and she has a perverted ex-fiance'," he sneered.

**Thanks for reading! The next installment will be coming soon. Feel free to PM me if you have questions or review and tell me what you think. ^-^**


	15. Chapter 14

**Hi everyone! Yukihime211 here. Sorry for the super long wait! Well, here we are. Chapter 14. Its been three months. But anyway, this chapter will be a bit angsty. But don't worry! The next chapter will bring in a lot of fluffy scenes. Anyway, I have a poll on my profile for ideas on the next chapter, so please feel free to vote or PM me with ideas. I also have a contest going on for artists out there if you're interested. But anyway, enough of this. Enjoy the story. ^-^**

**Disclaimer:I own nothing except my own OC's Ouran belongs to Bisco. Sorry if the characters are a bit OOC.**

Chapter 14  
Out in the Open

The others looked down at me with surprise just as Ryan looked over at me with a smirk. I shivered as I glanced over at Chika and Satoshi who also seemed confused.

"Uhm...Is something wrong?" I questioned.

There was silence as Chika wrinkled his nose at the direction Ryan had exited.

"Who was that weirdo?" he questioned.

I blushed slightly.

"He was once my childhood friend," I explained.

The others looked at me with anticipation as to what that meant, I suppose. Satoshi nodded in understanding.

"What about now?" he asked innocently.

I was speechless. I wasn't really sure. The customers were all listening intently and that was when Kyoya decided it was time to get back to work. The group dispersed and I sat quietly in my spot. Seeing as I didn't have any customers, I retrieved a book from my bag.

I tucked my legs underneath me and settled on the couch to read. Ever so often, I'd feel the eyes of the majority of the original host club members looking my way. A bit unsettling, if you asked me. I was sure I wasn't the only one that noticed this strange behavior.

"What's with all the staring?" demanded Chika.

The others ignored him and went back to work. I sighed as I knew this was going to be a rather long day.

/

Ryan smirked with pleasure as he whipped out his cell phone.

"Heh. Great idea with tearing the little 'family' apart, 'cuz," thanked Ryan.

A small chuckle was audible from the speaker.

"It was rather simple really. Just your average teenage angst can make the time worthwhile," explained Yuichi.

The two smirked and hung up. Ryan walked nonchalantly out of the school and into a black car as it drove off towards his cousin's estate.

/

"Fantastic," muttered Hikaru.

Kaoru glanced over at the calm minded Sakuya. He just couldn't believe that what Ryan said was actually true! Or could it... He had noticed Sakuya's...bashfulness in front of him.

He sunk in his chair feeling a wave of depression over his head. Hikaru noted the strange behavior and decided that after closing up, he'd question his actions.

Tamaki seemed like an empty shell as he sat looking around blankly as the shock had really gotten to him. His customers looked at him with concern.

"Tamaki-senpai, is something the matter?" asked a girl with long brown hair.

He looked ready to turn to dust. Kyoya seethed silently and sauntered over towards his direction.

"Please forgive Tamaki. He is in a bit of shock. I would gladly take his place if you would like," compromised Kyoya.

The girls giggle with pleasure and gladly walked over to his station. Chika rolled his eyes in the direction. Now that he thought about it, he rarely saw Kyoya hang around the girls like the others. He usually just hovered to each station like a teacher to check on her children. He snickered softly at his own joke.

/

I gazed out the window and was shocked to see it drizzling. Strange...it was a lot nicer this morning. I shrugged and snuggled closer into the couch feeling the warmth comforting. It was a good thing I didn't have anymore customers for today. I was especially grateful that we didn't have to Cosplay today. Maybe it was due to the fact that we had Chika around. I stood from the couch and made my way to the door. The twins immediately stood in my path.

"Where are you going?" they asked in unison.

I looked at their strained faces and looked back with confusion. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.

"To the restroom. Is there a problem?" I questioned.

Their cheeks flushed and I walked by feeling really lost. I shrugged and promptly left the room. But not before hearing a faint whisper.

"Do you think what he said was true?" whispered Hikaru.

There was a long pause and finally Kaoru responded.

"I...I really don't know," he pondered.

My heart clenched slightly. What did he mean by that exactly?

I walked slowly towards the bathroom.

My mind drifted towards home. Recently, my father had sent me that stupid message about...about the anniversary. I tried calling him to tell him I wasn't going, but he wouldn't even return my calls!

The nerve! I entered the restroom and sat on the couch as I checked my cell phone. My eyebrows furrowed with confusion. I had a text message from...an unidentified caller? I clicked on my inbox.

/

Chika glanced over at the twins with an annoyed expression. He was sure something was up and he was determined to find out. After his customers dispersed, he marched over towards their direction. The two glanced over placantly.

"What?" they questioned.

He crossed his arms in annoyance.

"What's your attitude with her?" he asked.

They cocked their head

"Who?" Kaoru questioned.

Chika furrowed his eyebrows and blushed slightly as he tried to form the words.

"You know...Sakuya," he whispered.

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at him with awe.

"Since when did you become so friendly with Sakuya?" demanded Hikaru.

Chika looked at him oddly.

"Why is he so uptight?" he wondered.

He crossed his arms and waited for the response.

"Doesn't matter. So, what's your deal?" he pointed out.

Hikaru fumed silently while Kaoru just sighed heavily.

"You wouldn't understand," Kaoru explained.

/

My heart lurched and my hands trembled with fear.

It's your fault your mother isn't here.

I fell to my knees and felt the tears spill down my cheeks freely. Who could have sent this message? Who could have known? I had never told anyone about it, so who could it have been?

Shivers ran down my back and I wrapped my arms around my shoulders. I rested my head on the wall and sat there limply as my mind wandered to the message my father had sent me. The anniversary. Slowly, I rose from the floor and took deep calming breaths. I needed to get a hold of myself before I headed back to the guys.

As much as I dreaded the thought, it was about time I needed to go see my mother. My exterior was slowly deteriorating. I felt as if a layer of skin had been removed and now I was feeling very vulnerable.

I massaged my temples and managed to clean my face up to look pretty presentable. I adorned my mask and walked out of the restroom.

The hallways echoed the click of my shoes as I walked along the empty corridor. Rain was still sprinkling outside. I entered the club to find the members huddled together having an impromptu meeting.

Chika and Satoshi looked over with blank expressions. I quietly snuck behind the club members and proceeded to listen in on their conversation.

"Someone should put that guy in his place," raged Hikaru

Kyoya just shook his head.

"Do what you like. As long as my name or the club's isn't involved," deadpanned Kyoya.

Kaoru shifted uncomfortably as did Haruhi. Tamaki had yet to recover from some sort of...shock?

"Why can't we just ask Sakuya directly. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to answer this question, which I think is pretty stupid. You can't honestly be that naive as to think there is truth to what he said," insisted Haruhi.

My body froze in its place as my hands trembled. I didn't like where this was going.

But what was it that they wanted to know?

Hikaru just shook his head in disgust and crossed his arms across his chest.

"When have you ever known Sakuya to straight up just say the truth? She's always so secretive. Like she doesn't trust us, even after being here more than six months. What do we really know about her? Just that her dad is freaky, her mom is likely dead or divorced and she has a perverted ex-fiancé'," he sneered.

The cell phone in my hand clattered to the ground.

The five spun around abruptly and looked over at me in shock.

My hands trembled and my lip quivered. I looked at him with hurt in my eyes.

"Is that really how you think I am?" I asked painfully.

Hikaru looked over with regret as he walked towards me, and I inched away.

"Wait...Sakuya, I didn't mean t-," he began.

I just shook my head and felt tears well up in the corners of my eyes. My cheeks painfully flushed with embarrassment and betrayal.

I turned away in time to see the shocked expressions on Chika and Satoshi's face. I spun around and bolted out the door without looking back.

I faintly heard the pleading voices of my peers, but I kept on running. The crashing of shoe against granite echoed the empty hallways.

I just kept on running until I collapsed outside the gates of Ouran. The tears splattered the floor freely and with no way of consolence.  
***

Tamaki's soul instantly entered his empty shell of a body. He glared over at Hikaru and snarled.

"You, you insensitive beast! How dare you talk that way to Sakuya!" he cried out.

Chika glared over at Hikaru and just shook his head as he walked out the door with Satoshi trailing behind him.

Hikaru looked down guiltily with frustration in his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair and gritted his teeth. Once more his mouth had gotten him in trouble.

Kyoya sighed heavily as he picked up her cell phone and backpack.

"It doesn't look like we will be able to locate her through her cell phone," he noted.

Haruhi sighed and glanced over at Hikaru.

"Why don't we all go look for her. We're bound to find her if we split up," she explained.

They agreed and began their search for Sakuya.

Kaoru and Hikaru took their separate ways and quickly went on searching.

Kyoya sighed and pushed up his glasses as he looked around the empty room. He shook his head.

"You realize it would have been a lot more simple if we had just sent my guards," noted Kyoya to no one in particular.

Slowly, he left the room with his cell phone in hand.

Chilling rain soaked me to the core. Not one part of my body was dry.

I didn't care. What was the point of even caring for my own health when the others didn't seem to trust me?

I shivered and pulled my legs close to my chest. How long had I been out here? I didn't know and really didn't care as I could no longer recognize whether my face was dripping with tears or rain.

I closed my eyes and felt myself drifting slowly into unconsciousness.

The deafening sound of sole against cement and puddles crashed down somewhere nearby. I rose my head slightly to see a tall figure running in my direction.

I rose from the ground abruptly and turned to run once more, yet I only succeeded in getting a couple of steps when I was caught.

I looked over hazily at the tall figure and made out the caramel colored eyes.

Chika-kun? He glared down at me.

"Are you stupid?" he screamed.

I winced and slumped slightly. I had no strength to talk back to him.

I stared at him vacantly.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

He crossed his arms and shook his head with frustration.

"I could ask you the same thing! Aren't you worried about your own health?" he demanded.

I shook my head.

"What's the point," I whispered.

He growled in my direction.

"You're a nuisance! What's with your attitude. One minute you're all happy go lucky, and now you look as if you've lost a friend!" he exclaimed.

There wasn't much of an effect. He just shook his head.

"Whatever. Let's go inside," he said.

I nodded and slowly made my way in his direction, when all of a sudden my legs gave out. Chika stepped back in alarm and looked at me with expectation. I looked up with alarm.

"Sorry. My legs just gave out," I explained.

He sighed and knelt down to my level and scooped me up in his arms. I looked up at him in alarm with the still pouring rain making it a bit hard to make a clear view of his face.

"Weakling," he murmured affectionately.

When we finally entered the school, it was eerily quiet as the majority of the students had left the building long ago. He effortlessly walked all the way to the nurse's room and checked me in at the door.

He placed me on the bed and searched the room for extra towels. I smiled softly.

"Now isn't this a familiar setting?" I thought out loud.

Chika glanced over in my direction with confusion.

"Did you say something?" he questioned.

I shook my head as he threw a towel in my direction. I did my best to dry off, yet it did little to warm me up.

My body racked with shivers and I pressed myself closer to the bed to feel some warmth.

A warm arm wrapped itself around my shoulders. Curiously, I looked over to see Chika seated beside me.

I smiled up at him as he glanced in my direction. A faint blush crossed his face.

"Thanks," I whispered.

He tried to frown in disdain, but failed.

"D-don't you start getting any ideas," he stuttered.

I giggled softly.

Hikaru cursed quietly under his breath in as he searched the hallway for any sign of Sakuya. Why had he been such a jerk to her? Oh right. It was because of that bastard Ryan. When he found that guy, he'd be sure to give him a piece of his mind.

Kaoru felt his adrenaline pump with worry. But...where could she be? He looked up at the ceiling.

"I wish Hinny were here. Then maybe we could find her," he whispered.

His ears perked when he came across a soft tapping coming from the corridor. He immediately went into action and was in hot pursuit of the noise.

Tamaki howled as he roamed the hallways with tears shedding from his eyes. Haruhi had somehow ended up with him when they were supposed to 'split up', yet he dragged Haruhi along for morale support.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. The empty corridors echoed his cries of woe.

"Cut it out Tamaki. The way you're going about, the teachers are going to think that there are ghosts roaming the hallways," muttered Haruhi.

He looked at her with wide eyes which began spilling more tears.

"WAAAH! Why are you being so rebellious Haruhi? Is it because you're jealous that we're paying attention to Sakuya-chan more than you? But I love my daughters equally!" he proclaimed.

His body flew at her and he engulfed her in a bear hug. She struggled to break free, yet she buckled under the pressure. She groaned and felt a tick mark appear on the side of her head. She wanted so badly to clap him on the upside of the head, yet both her hands were currently chained to her sides.

The sound of shoes against the floor came at them from a nearby location. The two were silent until the tapping came to an abrupt stop.

Curiously, the two looked over to see a very familiar face. Haruhi's face darkened.

The one with the cocky smile and snide remarks. Ryan Ackerman.

(Wait...what? But that couldn't be Ryan. He left to his cousin's house! Who could this Ryan look a like be?)

Hunny woke up abruptly with beads of sweat trickling down his neck. Something was not right. His senses were tingling with worry. The members seemed to be in turmoil... He glanced over to his side to see Mori sleeping in the bed adjacent to his. It was as if Hunny was the only one acutely aware that there was trouble back home...He knew it could only be one person.

Hunny rubbed his eyes and walked to the bathroom to get a glass of warm milk. It would help calm his nerves. If not, a slice of cake would surely do the trick.

"Now where'd the kitchen go?" Hunny wondered groggily.

Kyoya didn't bother searching for long as he seriously doubted she could go far without her two essentials in the clubroom and no way to get home. He adjusted his glasses and glanced outside the pouring rain.

He doubted she was stupid enough to make the same mistake that put her in the hospital and assumed she was probably hiding out in the Nurse's Office.

It was only a matter of time before the others found her.

My eyes drooped slightly as I snuggled closer to the warmth emanating from Chika's body. I was pretty sure that he was feeling pretty uncomfortable, but it was hard not to listen to my survival instincts of keeping warm. (she exaggerates  
-_-')

I felt myself drifting slightly and sighed. Although all I saw was darkness, I felt Chika shift.

"What's on your mind?" I asked groggily.

He coughed softly and turned his head away.

"It's nothing," he muttered.

I opened my eyes and pulled away slowly. He was definitely hiding something. I crossed my arms over my chest and tilted my head slightly.

"No really. Just say it," I insisted.

He stood from the bed and looked away in frustration.

"Nothing okay?" he exclaimed.

I stood up abruptly with shock. I looked at the ground.

"So...you don't trust me?" I whispered softly.

He spun around quickly in alarm.

"No! It's not...It's not like that..." he trailed off.

I kept my head down cast and felt my eyes water slightly. Chika stepped back and walked around nervously.

"H-hey! Not the water works! Geez! Fine," he said in defeat.

My eyes sparkled as a smirk made its way onto my face. His eyes widened and he frowned deeply.

"You...you tricked me again!" he exclaimed.

I stuck out my tongue and shook my head. He sighed and just shook his head.

"You're so cute!" I squealed.

He blushed and looked at me with bewilderment.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

I giggled up into his direction and ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"You're like a little brother I never had!" I exclaimed.

Crack! I pulled away from him and looked around. Did I just hear something break? I looked over at the slumped Chika with depression clouds surrounding his body.

"Brother?" he said with a dazed look.

I waved a hand in his face, yet he was long gone. I stood on my tiptoes and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

"See you later little bro!" I called out.

He waved back blankly and muttered some unintelligible words to himself. I shrugged and went on my way to the club room to get my stuff.

'Ryan' glanced down at Tamaki and snickered. He crossed his arms and cocked his head; waiting for an answer. Haruhi glanced over with annoyance.

"Hm...I didn't know you swung that way, Suoh," observed 'Ryan'.

Tamaki looked at him blankly and then looked over at Haruhi. He immediately pushed her away from him and he smiled at him nervously.

"O-of course not! Haruhi-kun just looked about to faint, so I caught him!" he exclaimed.

'Ryan' raised in eyebrow in wonder but just shrugged and left on his way with a smug look on his face.

Haruhi stood from the ground and dusted herself off. She glared off into his direction...wait that wasn't Ryan. If it were him, he'd be asking about Sakuya or calling Tamaki Suoh-senpai. Who was he though? The similarities were so uncanny, yet those light green eyes were not the same as the icy blue ones.

"Haruhi? Are you alright?" questioned Tamaki with worry.

She snapped out of her reverie and looked over at Tamaki with wide eyes.

"That wasn't Ryan," she whispered.

Tamaki stopped dead in his tracks and looked over at Haruhi with shock.

"What? But how is that possible. He looks just like him!" he exclaimed.

She shook her head. Right now was the time to go talk to Sakuya if it meant finding out the identity of the mysterious boy.

Kaoru's heart raced as he continued to follow the sound of the clicking heels. He turned the corner and tugged at the person's arm. He opened his eyes to see that his intuition was right.

Sakuya looked over at him with surprise. She struggled to break free from his grip as a look of hurt was written on her face.

"Let me go Kaoru," she insisted.

His eyes were soft as he looked into her eyes. She shut her eyes and looked away.

"Look...Sakuya. Hikaru didn't mean that. He was just feeling overwhelmed," he explained.

Her voice came soft at first as she didn't dare look at him. He cocked his head slightly.

"What did you say?" he questioned.

She opened her eyes and looked at him with watering eyes.

"If he didn't mean it, then why is it you that's apologizing for what he has done and not him personally," she replied.

He grimaced and pulled her along as they made their way to the club room. Sakuya winced slightly as she had never known Kaoru to be so rough.

"Why the sudden change of attitude?" she wondered.

They entered the club room where it seemed it was completely empty. Kaoru the door behind her and set her on the couch. He whipped out his cell phone and dialed Hikaru.

Sakuya slowly rose from the couch and searched the room for her stuff. They were neatly set near her station and inched closer to get through unnoticed.

"Hikaru. I found Sakuya. She's in the clubroom, so you better come and apologize," whispered Kaoru.

On the other line, he could hear Hikaru sigh. Apologizing wasn't going to be easy. Thinking back, he never once said sorry.

Hikaru knew he had to do this if he wanted to save his friendship and agreed to come over as soon as he informed the others that Sakuya was in the club room.

When Kaoru turned around, he realized that not only did Sakuya disappear, but the balcony window had been unlocked as rain drenched the floor.

He sat down on the couch in shock.

When I arrived home, I immediately ran to my room to shower. No way I was going to risk getting sick again. The warmth washed over me and a smile crossed my face. Ah. These were the delights I most enjoyed. After drying off and changing into a tank top and pajama bottoms. With a towel wrapped around my head, I walked down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

The soft padding of my slippers on hardwood floor echoed silently. It was pretty quiet today now that I thought about it... I hadn't even seen Yoneko.

The kitchen light was still on and I guessed she was there. I slowly made my way there until, I heard the gruff voice that always had to come and ruin the good mood.

"Exactly where have you been?" his voice boomed.

I jumped at his voice and saw my father sitting at the kitchen table with anger. My eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

"Welcome back to you too dad," I muttered.

He stood up from his chair and crossed his arms in displeasure.

"I asked you a question," he demanded harshly.

I winced but stood my ground.

"Club activities," I clarified.

There was a look of disgust in his face. I took a step back in alarm.

"You call fooling around with boys club activities?" he bellowed. He turned away from me and muttered under his breath," Kid these days and their so called slang."

I shook my head as I felt a migraine coming on. I rubbed my temples.

"No father. It's not some slang terms. I really was involved in after school activities. You know like the fashion club, tennis club, ect. ect," I explained.

He just shook his head and glanced out the window.

"Have you decided yet?" he questioned.

My eyes widened and I turned around abruptly. I felt my heart wrench.

"No," I whispered.

He spun around and glared.

"She's your mother! The least you could do was go visit her this one time. Its been five years, yet you still can't bring yourself to take fault for what happened to her! What kind of daughter have I raised? Do you think your mother would be proud to see her only child going around flaunting herself like a cheap prize? You think I'm stupid? That I don't realize what's going on? IS THAT IT?" He taunted.

Hot tears burned at the rim of my eyes. My head was downcast. Was everyone against me? I looked up and tried to muster up an answer.

"What do you know really? *Sob* Are you ever around? Do you really think that not a day has gone by that I didn't know it was my fault? *Hiccup* All you've ever done since the accident is go away. You can't even look at me in the face anymore without getting irritated. I get locked up in my room when I finally feel like this hellish nightmare is over. But it was just a fleeting dream to think I could achieve happiness. It will never change, will it? You will never approve of me no matter what I do because deep in your heart, you hate me for taking mom away from you...*tears continue to pick up* Don't you just enjoy all that I've been through. I hate myself so much that I feel that there is no reason for me to even be alive anymore, because if I had to choose between living in solitude or death, I would choose death in a heartbeat if it helped mom recover!" I cried out passionately.

Gasps echoed the room as soon the servants came out of hiding. I ran out of the room with tears flooding my vision. I bounded up the stairs and went directly towards my room.

At the top step, I unceremoniously crashed into a comforting embrace. I looked up to see Yoneko looking down at me with concern. The laundry in her arms dropped to the floor as she led me to my room as I continuously sobbed into her shoulder. We sat on my bed and felt all the repressed feelings come crashing down.

***888

The club members sat around the club room in awe. How could Sakuya possibly climb down the balcony without killing herself?

Hikaru sat on the couch sulking. If only he had gotten there sooner. Then he wouldn't be in this stupid mess. He shook his head and tried to clear his clouded mind.

Tamaki was crying all over the place and accusing Hikaru of driving away his youngest daughter.

Kyoya merely glanced at his computer and assured the others that she arrived home safely as he had hacked the chip inside her cell phone in able to track her down.

Haruhi groaned and looked out the window wearily.

She really wasn't sure what to say or do. Really, all she wanted to do was go home and take a much needed nap. She sighed as she thought about how much she longed to see Hunny and Mori again. The soothing salves that helped the members patch up their differences.

On his way over, Satoshi had found a dazed Chika sitting in a chair at the nurse's office. He had tried to knock some sense into him by jabbing him with his kendo stick, but it did little to change Chika's emotions.

He was so scared that he had gone into shock that he searched for the nurse treat Chika's 'illness'.

Kaoru sighed and shook his head. The only thing left to do was talk to Sakuya tomorrow. That is, if she even planned on showing up in school tomorrow. Kaoru walked over to Kyoya with concern.

"Hey Kyoya. Could I take a look at that tracker? It'll probably come in handy tomorrow. I have a feeling that she'll skip school," he whispered.

Kyoya cocked his head in curiosity. Kaoru far more observant than he let on. Kyoya nodded.

"On one condition," he whispered back.

Kaoru sighed. He figured there'd be a price for asking for Kyoya's help. He waited patiently for the answer as the others were busy discussing their next plan of action.

"What would that be?" he asked.

Kyoya smirked and glanced out the window.

"You'll soon find out," he answered mysteriously.

Kaoru felt his instincts tell him that the outcome would not be that great, yet there was no choice.

He nodded in agreement. Kyoya nodded and felt pretty happy deep inside. If only Kaoru knew what Kyoya was planning that summer...

Sakuya's head rested on Yoneko's lap as the woman stroked the distraught child's hair in comfort.

She glared at the floor as if her gaze could penetrate it and look at Kou with anger. How could that man even look at himself in the morning knowing full well that he was intentionally breaking Sakuya's heart.

The rhythmic inhale and exhale signaled that Sakuya had fallen asleep. The poor girl's cheeks were streaked with tears and the furrowing of her eyebrows noted for discomfort, yet the warmth coming from Yoneko's legs helped Sakuya calm down and look rather peaceful after such a shocking event.

"I'm sorry Sakuya-sama. If only I could protect you. But I can't really go against my boss' orders or I risk the chance of losing the job that brings me close to you. You're the daughter I've always wanted. I would be devastated if I were to be apart from you. I hope you understand. When your father is not around, you're always so sweet to your staff even when you don't have to. You are a good person and one day all the suffering you've gone through will be awarded with freedom," she explained.

Sakuya's lips twitched into a delicate smile.

"Mom..." Sakuya voiced out.

Yoneko smiled and knew that tomorrow Sakuya would have to face her fear and meet up with her comatose mother.

***888

As Kaoru had predicted, Sakuya had not showed up that morning to class.

He glanced down at the little tracker device in front of him and knew that the only way to get Sakuya to listen was to follow close behind.

So, with the help of the others, he ditched and hailed a taxi to take him towards the destination Sakuya was currently heading.

Hikaru looked down with disappointment but knew that if Sakuya was mad, the one to help smooth things out would be Kaoru.

Kaoru kept a close eye on the meter and wondered how long the ride would take as he was beginning to feel slightly antsy.

When it seemed like the ride would never end, an hour later the cab stopped in front of a hospital. Kaoru looked over in confusion.

"Is she here for a check up or something?" he wondered.

He exited the cab and paid the fare as he slowly entered the hospital. It was odd since he found this place strangely familiar. Had they come over once? He'd have to ask Hikaru about that.

The minute he entered, he could hear the buzz of people conversing and calling out doctors over the intercom. He scanned the area and immediately spotted Sakuya sitting with her back turned to him near the intensive care area.

He felt a knot in his stomach and walked over a quietly as possible. Her shoulders trembled as he neared and he instantly felt something very amiss.

I sat quietly in the hospital waiting room feeling anxious. My breathing came out irregular as I felt the pulsing of my heart become out of control. I closed my eyes and felt my tear ducts ready to give out. I wrapped my arms around my legs and shut my eyes.

"Miss Mazaki?" called out the doctor.

I stood up in anticipation.

"Yes," I replied.

He looked over at his clipboard.

"There hasn't been any change in her status since we first admitted her. It's been five years, hasn't it?" he inquired.

I nodded slightly as he looked over with cold and unattached eyes.

"Well, we're currently running the usual tests, but I'll have one of the nurses come get you when we're finished," he drawled.

He turned his back to me and walked passed the swinging doors.

My thoughts clouded over as I remembered the first time I had ever entered this wretched place.

_I was rushed home without parent supervision and dropped off at the hospital with no idea how in bad shape my mother was. With no relatives to back me up, I was generally an orphan. (seeing as all my aunts and uncles had gone on vacation) My father was nowhere to be seen as he had decided that the pain was too hard to bare and he left the country to recuperate._

_The nanny wouldn't come pick me up until the next morning and I had to spend the night at the hospital. A mix of fear and anger coursed through my veins at that point._

_Through the glass window, I saw the battered shell of my mother. The operating room. I closed my eyes tightly and turned my back as I slid to the ground. The tears wouldn't come yet. It was as if I had no heart or soul._

_Abruptly, I stood up to my stature of 4'6 and pounded my tiny fist into the wall. I tugged at my oversized grey sweater and fingered my newly dyed hair styled in a choppy bob._

_Sure I was only ten, but hey, that was the first and last time I ever did that._

_I pulled my legs to my chest and closed my eyes as I rested my head on the wall. It was only for a brief moment, but soon after, I felt a sudden tug on my arm._

_My eyes flew open to see an elderly man with sagging skin and liver spots wearing a hospital robe. Drool slipped from his gummed mouth and his head shone with baldness. A nurse aid was slowly wheeling him over to his room. Those hollow eyes looked at me dully and I shivered involuntarily._

_I tugged away from him, but for an old guy, he sure had some grip._

_"Please. Let me go," I whispered._

_The young nurse looked at her charge in alarm._

_"Washitaro-san, please let go of the little girl. I know that this has been hard on you, but there are only a few more days until the therapy will all be over," she promised._

_He shook his head violently and tugged at my arm to come closer. My heart felt ready to explode from fear._

_"No...*wheeze* I can't... *wheeze* take it anymore. I'm... *Cough* too old to go through... *cough hack* this anymore. Just stop. Please...*cough cough* help me," he pleaded._

_He pulled me so close that I could see his tonsils. I felt myself slowly sink to the ground. His eyes widened and a coughing fit erupted. His eyes rolled back in his head and the grip on my arm became limp._

_The nurse gasped as she glanced at the IV hooked to his arm._

_The line was dead...just as the poor man was. Screams echoed the halls and panic erupted._

_"Why would the nurse be screaming? Shouldn't she be used to this by now?" I wondered._

_I looked at the nurse to see her with determination. If she wasn't screaming...then who was?_

_Another nurse came to their aid and sped over in my direction with concern._

_"Little girl? Are you alright?" she questioned._

_Wait...that was me? I collapsed on the floor and had to turn away. My body shook and I felt the air pressure inside me begin to diminish. The world around me faded as I heard the voices of many crowding around me._

_I had witnessed the death of helpless old man who just wanted to end his life in peace. Ever since, I just couldn't bare being in the hospital._

A single tear rolled down my cheek. There was a slight tap on my shoulder and I slowly looked up. Kaoru's sympathetic honey colored eyes looked down at me.

My cheeks flushed as he handed me his...handkerchief? Why was I suddenly feeling like this had happened before? I took it and turned away as I wiped away the traces of tears.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered quietly.

He sat down beside me and placed his arm around my shoulders delicately.

"I should ask you the same question," he answered lightly.

I felt myself sink deeper in depression. I just couldn't help it. All the overwhelming feelings inside me were beginning to leak out.

"My mother. She's currently been staying at the hospital. I was ten when the accident happened. It was a hit and run driver case. Most cases would have been less severe, but he just left her there for almost more than half an hour. Luckily, the doctors were able to stabilize her so we returned back here. Ever since, she's been in a five year coma and all of it is because of me," I whimpered the last part.

Kaoru shook his head and cupped my chin in his hand to make me face him.

"How is it your fault? Were you the one driving the car?" he questioned.

I shook my head as I felt the tears come pouring down.

"Were you the one to leave her to die?" he asked once more.

This time, I hesitated and turned away.

"No. You were nowhere near her when it happened. Am I right?" he explained.

I looked down.

"But I've always been told its my fault," I whispered.

His eyes widened in shock and he racked his brain to figure out who would say such a thing.

"My father. From the moment he found me, he has always blamed me. I'm a horrible person. If I hadn't run away none of-" I began.

He slammed his fist on the coffee table. I jumped in surprise.

"No! It's not your fault. Haven't you listened to a word I said? How can you say you're horrible when all I've seen from you is kindness, sincerity, and friendship? You always saw the good in others. Like when Kuragano hurt you. You never once said it was her fault," he explained.

He took his hand and brushed away the tears from my face. He smiled slightly.

"Don't believe a word you dad says. Its not only me that knows you're great. Tamaki, Haruhi, Mori, Hunny, Hikaru, Satoshi, and hey you even got Kyoya and Chika on your side. That's quite an accomplishment," he teased.

I nodded and placed my head on his shoulder. Somehow, his words had brought me out of my funk. Kaoru shifted and gasped in realization.

"What is it?" I asked.

He blushed slightly and looked down.

"I actually came here for a reason other than the one at hand. You know, you should just forgive Hikaru. He just doesn't know how to express his feelings. I know you weren't satisfied with my answer last time, but he does have a point. Sometimes, its hard to read you. There's so much we don't know about you that it hurts sometimes to see that you don't trust us," he explained.

It dawned on me that what he was saying was absolutely true. I smiled softly and nodded.

"I forgive him," I proclaimed.

He smiled and ruffled my head. I glared playfully.

"What was that for? I'm not a little kid!" I explained.

He shook his head.

"Sure you're not," he drawled.

The swinging doors opened and the doctor signaled me to follow.

"Could my friend join me?" I asked timidly.

The doctor pushed up his glasses and nodded warily.

The two of us walked passed the now silent hallway where patients were quietly waiting to be attended.

Room 502

A soft knock was placed on the door and we entered. My mother's face was healed and her hair had grown out. She looked exactly as she did before the accident. The IV was securely in her vein. Kaoru stared at my mother in awe.

"You look a lot like your mom. She's really pretty," he breathed.

I blushed and placed a vase of flowers on the dresser.

"I've been told. Its so strange. After five years, she still has her baby face. But I'm glad she looks the same. That way I'll never forget how she looks like," I explained.

Kaoru cocked his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

I glanced over in his direction nonchalantly.

"You've been to my house a few times. Haven't you ever wondered why we have no pictures? Well, about a year after this happened, my dad packed up all our family photos. I was beginning to fear that I would forget how she looked like. I only have a single photo I was able to salvage. It was of my dad, mom and me when I was three. We were at the obon festival," I said nostalgically.

Kaoru came from behind and hugged me tightly. I jumped slightly and tipped my head back to see what had gotten into him. He rested his head on my own and breathed in deeply.

"Your life is a lot more complicated than I first figured," he whispered into my hair.

The sound of his breathing was rather...calming.

"You have no idea," I mumbled.

He lifted his head from my own and cocked his head.

"What was that?" he questioned.

I giggled softly.

"Oh nothing," I replied.

I walked over to my and placed my hand atop her own. I placed a light kiss on her cheek.

"Bye mom. I hope you'll wake up soon. I love you," I whispered.

Kaoru glanced over in my direction.

"Is it okay if I have a little alone time with your mom?" he asked.

I cocked my head in wonder, but obliged.

I walked out of the room, curious of what he had to say.

Kaoru smiled weakly over at Sakuya's mother. He dragged a chair next to the bed and sighed.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Mazaki. I'm Kaoru Hitachiin. I'm your daughter's friend. Although I kind of want our friendship to evolve into something more. You see...I think...no. I know that I've fallen in love with her," he explained.

The only sound in the room was the constant beeping of the monitor, yet he was still embarrassed of the proclamation he had confessed to Sakuya's mother.

He glanced at the ticking clock.

"I'm still not courageous enough to tell her, but when I do...I'd really like it if you could be there. So...wake up soon. Sorry for taking your time. But anyway, sleep on it. Ah! Sorry bad pun. Well, it was nice meeting you," he concluded.

He patted her hand and sat in the chair for a while until he regained his composure.

He knew that deep inside, he would never be able to deal with all the crap Sakuya had to in a daily bases. It must have been hard masking her feelings, yet like a professional actress, she was able to fool everyone into believing she was okay.

He rose from the chair and waved. As he turned his back, Mrs. Mazaki's lips formed a tiny smile. There was still hope.

The next morning, I was greeted by Hikaru in front of the door.

"Look Sakuya. I...I want to apologize for acting like a jerk two days ago. So, let's get back to being friends," he said quickly.

I giggled softly and nodded.

"I forgive you. Why should I be mad now that I realize what you said was partly true. I should be more open with you guys. I'm not used to having so many friends, so it will take me a while before I can truly open up, so I hope you can put up with that for a while," I explained.

His face brightened and he nodded. As we were about to enter, his face darkened again.

"Wait. Before we go in. I have to ask you something," he began.

I waited patiently for his question.

"Yes?" I questioned.

He looked down at the floor.

"You remember that day when you went looking for Chika? Well after you left, the foreigner told us something kind of shocking. I just want to make sure you know so we can clear things up," he explained.

My face paled. Ryan was behind all the distance I was getting from the others? I should have known. My hands rolled up into fists.

"What did he say?" I asked calmly. (Although on the inside, it was otherwise)

He scratched the back of his head.

"He...he said you two kissed," he whispered.

My eyes widened.

"WHAT?" I cried out.

Heads popped out of the classrooms in curiosity. Hikaru glared over at them and they instantly popped back in.

"So...does that mean he's lying?" he wondered.

I blushed and looked away.

"The thing is, what he said was partly true. He forced a kiss on me during my exam," I mumbled.

His eyes widened and then narrowed.

"I'm going to kill that bastard!" he exclaimed.

I shook my head and tugged at his arm.

"This is precisely the reason why I didn't want to tell you!" I explained.

He just shook his head and sighed.

"Fine. But that guy better watch out because the next time he tries that on you, the Host Club will personally make his life hell," he answered devilishly.

I shook my head.

"You're starting to sound like Kyoya," I commented.

He glared over in my direction. He waved and grinned.

"Oh hey Kyoya," he called out.

I spun around abruptly with fear in my eyes. The halls were empty... I turned back to him and glared.

"Very funny," I mumbled.

He chuckled to himself.

"That's what you get for comparing me to the Dark Lord," he commented.

I inched away from him slowly as I saw a dark shadow loom overhead.

Hikaru just shook his head.

"I'm not stupid enough to fall for my own trick. Seriously Sakuya, you've got to do better than that," he teased.

The glinting glasses attack appeared just as he finished the sentence.

"The Dark Lord, am I?" asked the male voice.

Hikaru slowly turned around and sped off to class with me in tow.


	16. Crashing Hosts

**Hi everyone! Yukihime211 here. Wow. A whole year has come and gone since I first started this story. Thank you so much for those who have stuck around and lavished me with reviews. (lol I sound like I'm giving a grammy award speech) Well as promised I have come up with a summer special even though we're in the dead of winter. I feel like this story will be coming to a close soon. Yet I still have a few more surprises up my sleeve before this actually ends. My guess the story will come to an end around March/April unless I take forever to post these chapters. I really need to cut down in writing such long chapters. That's one of the reasons it takes me forever to post! But anyway, enjoy the chapter and I hope to hear from you soon. More specifically through review.**

**Disclaimer:I own nothing except my own OC's Ouran belongs to Bisco. Sorry if the characters are a bit OOC.**

**Chapter 15**

**Crashing Hosts**

Two weeks passed on after the whole incident and the others were keeping a rather close eye on me. It was a Monday and pretty soon we would be on our summer vacation. Chika entered the club room haggardly. He sighed and sat on the couch. I walked over to him in curiosity.

"What's up Chika-kun?" I questioned.

He crossed his arms and turned away. The twins walked over with mock sympathy

"Aw. Is poor Chika-kun sad because this will be his last day with us? Will you miss us?" they teased in unison.

I glared over in their direction.

"Both of you. Quit it. Hunny and Mori are coming back today, aren't they?" I inquired.

A sigh of relief flooded the room.

"Thank goodness. I don't think I could handle this tension any longer. Hunny and Mori are like a safe haven which will make this place have some normalcy," muttered Haruhi.

The twins pouted.

"What do you mean by that?" they said with indignation.

I shook my head and stretched out on the couch. Chika shook his head as my legs were sprawled over his lap.

"Excuse me, but I'm sitting here," he muttered.

I just shrugged and began reading a magazine I drew from my bag. The others looked over at me oddly.

"That's extremely out of character," noted Hikaru.

I shrugged and flipped a page from the magazine.

"Meh. It's just one of those days where the unexpected happens," I explained.

Chika pushed my feet off the couch.

"You should stop that. It's a nasty habit...," he muttered.

I frowned and my hand trailed near my backpack.

"What are you, my dad? Oh, I see its a pity. Well, whatever shall I do with this baby chick plushie? I was thinking of maybe giving it to Hunny, since he loves this kind of stuff," I proclaimed.

Chika's cheeks flushed a rosy color and he instinctively went after the little yellow bird. Nonchalantly, I swayed it back and forth.

I pulled it away just centimeters from his reach. Chika glared and I saw a glint in those non prescription glasses. Without warning, I was thrust over his shoulder and he walked off towards the hall with me in tow.

"H-hey! What are you doing? Where are you taking me?" I asked frantically.

The others looked on as I pounded on his back and called out for help. The other members looked on with curiosity.

Once we were outside the hallway, Chika set me down and snatched the bird from my hands.

"Sakuya-senpai! What are you trying to do? Look. This is a secret between you and me, got it. If you tell a soul, I'll-" he began.

I shook my head.

"Look. Empty threats really aren't that intimidating. Neither are you. Besides, do you really have the guts to hurt an innocent girl?" I questioned.

He slumped down to the ground in defeat. I knelt down and lightly patted his head.

"Don't worry. I would never do something like that," I explained.

My thoughts then revolved back to what he had just called me. I cocked my head and looked over in his direction.

"Wait...did you just call me...Sakuya-senpai?" I questioned.

He looked up with alarm and stood from the ground.

"I...I didn't m-mean, It's just-" he began.

I held up my hand and a smile adorned my lips.

"That...is so...cuuuuutee! I've never been called senpai before," I concluded.

He just shook his head and a slight flush crossed over his face.

"So, are you excited to see Hunny come home?" I wondered.

He frowned, but then it softened as he sighed.

"It's not that...I mean, its been a while since I've seen him. It's a kind of weird not having him around," he explained.

I smirked inwardly. He was definitely trying to hide that fact that he was missing him.

I nodded and glanced back at the door. I sauntered over and kicked it. I felt the vibration and a loud thump. Chika looked over in my direction with confusion.

I proceeded to open the door and revealed the twins flat on the ground.

"Eavesdropping, eh?" I noted.

The two picked themselves up and just shrugged as if nothing ever happened.

I just shook my head and walked inside with Chika trailing behind me.

* * *

Hunny jumped around with Mori behind him. They had finally arrived back home where their underclassmen awaited their guidance. He wondered how it had gone while they were gone, but he'd probably ask the others how it went. Specifically Haruhi.

His eyes brightened when he saw all the club members including his brother as well as Mori's.

"Saa-chaaaaan~!" Hunny cried out.

With arms wide open, he ran full speed in Sakuya's direction. He was fully surprised when he saw his younger brother tug at Sakuya's hand and move her out of his hugging zone.

Satoshi, though noticed this immediately and smacked Chika upside the head. Chika glared up at him and the two went on bickering.

Tamaki smiled and cried heartily as he ran over and hugged Hunny.

"It's great seeing you guys back!" he exclaimed.

Mori nodded and walked over to the girls and patted their heads. The two blushed slightly.

"Welcome back, Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai," the girls greeted in unison.

Hunny smiled over and ran towards them.

"Saa-chan! Haru-chan! We brought presents!" exclaimed Hunny.

* * *

We gathered around at the club room the next afternoon to celebrate the arrival of Hunny and Mori. The room was packed with Mori and Hunny fan girls. Yet, we somehow managed to have enough room for everyone to sit.

I glanced over at Kyoya who just stared with a slight smug look. I frowned back in response.

Boy was this going to be a pain in the butt. How annoying. As of today, I had been demoted from a hostess to a waitress.

When would my time come? I walked around the tables refilling cups and passing out little treats the Vice President had prepared before hand to make a little money on the side.

Hikaru breezed on through and poked my cheek slightly as he over looked me with curiosity.

"Why the long face? I thought you'd be happy to see Hunny and Mori back," wondered Hikaru.

I shook my head.

"It has nothing to do with that. I'm just peeved that I have to work," I explained.

He just shrugged and patted my head.

"Well, what'd you expect. That you were brought here just to hang out?" he questioned.

I poked both fingers together with embarrassment and looked at the soles of my shoes.

"Um...kinda," I whispered.

A slight blush flooded his face. He rapped my head lightly.

"Dummy," he whispered affectionately.

He walked away to the girls and began his banter with Tamaki.

I continued to hand out drinks when Kaoru approached me cautiously.

I smiled up at him with curiosity.

"What's up Kaoru?" I questioned.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and pressed his lips to my ear.

"How's your mom doing?" he questioned.

I smiled slightly and shook my head.

"No news yet. But people are saying she might be regaining consciousness," I whispered.

He smiled and squeezed my hand.

"That's great," he replied.

He walked away towards his brother's direction. Kyoya breezed by with curiosity.

"You have two tables with empty glasses," he noted.

My brows furrowed.

"Well, excuse me, your majesty. But I never signed up to be a waitress. How is it that I was dragged into this plan?" I questioned.

His glasses glinted and he pushed them up slightly.

"I do believe that I informed you of this last week. But as usual, you seem to always lack the effort to fully hear what is being told to you," he explained.

I growled in frustration and quickly set up the drinks. A small smirk adorned my lips as a perfect plan formed in my mind.

After the party...

Cleaning up the mess set out by the customers was minimal, but not something I was looking forward to do. Luckily everyone had to pitch in.

Hunny wiped down the tables as Mori moved tables in their proper place. Which I found rather interesting...

Hikaru and Kaoru walked around "dusting" as Haruhi swept the floors.

As for Tamaki and Kyoya, I had issued them to cleaning dishes. Both had adorned aprons and rolled up their sleeves. While Tamaki took over the actual washing, Kyoya had ended up drying them.

Suds flooded the sink and pooled out as they dribbled down the floor. Water soaked Tamaki's crisp white shirt and a mustache purely created of soap bubbles frothed on his upper lip.

Tamaki looked strangely determined to wash the dishes although I knew deep down he was completely hopeless.

As for Kyoya, he silently dried the plates with a dark aura overshadowing above him. He set the plates in piles so high that only Mori would be able to reach.

I smiled contentedly at the sight. (How had I gotten the Shadow king to do dishes you ask? That I leave up to the reader's imagination. But if you really want to know, just request a bonus story.)

"Ah! Tamaki, watch where you washing. The whole kitchen is drowned in soap!" exclaimed Haruhi.

As for my duty in cleaning? Making sure that no one gets hurt. I inspected the others work and made my way towards the table in the sud infested kitchen.

I chuckled quietly.

"Looking good, guys!" I called out.

Kyoya took the time promptly to glare over in my direction. I just turned away and smirked. He got what he deserved.

"Hey. This seems strangely out of character...how'd this happen? Usually we'd be the ones watching and she'd be the one cleaning up," noted Hikaru.

I crossed my arms and tilted my head slightly.

"Well, what'd you expect? I was the only one actually doing anything remotely productive while you guys were entertaining the others," I explained.

Well, I did feel bad for making Haruhi work. I mean she did sort of help. The twins grumbled alone. Hunny cheerfully ran through the kitchen sliding as if he were ice skating. He spun around a couple of times and landed with a peace sign.

"Haha! How's that Takashi?" Hunny questioned.

Mori lifted a sign with a 10 while Kaoru and Hikaru's read 9.5.

The twins grinned at one another and began sliding around as a pair.

I shook my head and cautiously walked over. The twins slid over for Haruhi to join in, yet she bluntly rejected. Of course they ignored her pleas and she was promptly pulled around.

"You guys should really be careful. One of you could really fa-" I began.

Tamaki glared over at them and dangerously ran in my general direction.

"Come back here you foul beasts!" he exclaimed.

His right foot connected with my left. I gasped as he passed me and I twisted back only to slip on the sudsy floor.

"Hya!" I cried out.

The others gasped and ran to my aid, but the one to get there first really caught me off guard.

* * *

Haruhi glanced over with curiosity. The turn of events really were rather shocking. Eyebrows twitched with a mix of emotions around the room.

Arms were securely wrapped around her waist and the back of her head resting on his broad chest. An apron securely wrapped around his waist.

Ohtori Kyoya aka the Shadow King sighed in relief and gazed down at Sakuya.

"Are you alright Sakuya?" he questioned.

The stunned girl just looked up; unmoving. Silence rung through out the room. She pulled away from Kyoya's grasp and nodded while looking down at the ground in embarrassment.

"Yeah. Thanks," she answered.

Hikaru glared over at Kyoya, as Kaoru felt that this was only the beginning. Tamaki sped off in Sakuya's direction completely oblivious to the fact that the floor was wet.

"Sakuya-chan! Are you alri-ahhhight?" he cried just as he slipped and landed on his butt.

The entire room shook with laughter. Haruhi though, shook her head in amazement.

"You'd think by now he'd now better," she muttered under her breath.

Sakuya brushed off a tear from her eye and nodded in agreement. Suddenly, she looked at her cell phone and gasped.

"I just realized that summer vacation starts on Monday," she said out loud.

The others shrugged.

"What's the big deal?" questioned Hikaru.

Everyone cautiously left the danger zone and entered the sitting room. Haruhi sat in a bland chair as Tamaki took his luxurious armrest. Hunny sat on the top part of the couch as Takashi sat in front of him. Kyoya took a seat near the table as usual and the twins sat on either side of Sakuya in the larger couch.

Sakuya shook her head hesitantly.

"Never mind," she whispered.

* * *

***  
After hours, I had set aside Haruhi to talk with her about some things.

"Ah, Haruhi. Could I talk to you for a second?" I questioned.

She nodded and the two of us walked side by side.

"So, what's on your mind Sakuya-chan?" I questioned.

I smiled at her up at her. It was strange that though we were about the same height, that she was slightly taller than me.

"Well, I was thinking since we were going on vacation soon that you'd be willing to come over to my house. Like a sleep over," I explained.

Haruhi looked up at the sky in wonder, and smiled lightly. We had exited the school and were standing outside as I waited for my ride, seeing as I'd offered her a ride home.

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll be sure to ask my dad if I'll be able to go. Though I'm curious why," she explained.

I looked straight ahead as a sad smile worked its way on my face.

"It's just...I really need a friend right now. You've met my father, right?" I asked.

She nodded with caution and looked over with concern.

"A few days ago, he took off. So I thought we'd be able to hang out more," I explained.

She nodded slowly and was about to speak when our ride arrived. We piled in and took off towards Haruhi's home.

* * *

Yoneko sat on the steps heading to the rooms. She sighed heavily and felt her heart sink. Her boss seem rather fazed when he heard all those heart wrenching words. He was unable to face his daughter anymore. So like a coward, he did the thing he did the best.

He left. No more excuses about could be made as the truth was as clear as day. If only he had stayed. Then maybe the father daughter relationship would be pieced back together.

The car stopped in front of the house and Sakuya bounded out with giddiness. Her bright smile beamed up at her maid.

"Good afternoon Yoneko!" she called.

Yoneko smiled over and moved a strand of hair back in place.

"Good afternoon Sakuya-sama. Some pleasant news I presume?" she questioned.

Sakuya smiled over and nodded.

"I'm pretty sure that I'm going to host a slumber party. Seeing as Haruhi is coming over," she explained.

Yoneko smiled. The moment she had first seen Haruhi was the day she realized that "he" was actually a she.

Though for her young mistress, well...she needed a little help to figure things out. Although by the looks of it, she now knew.

111***

* * *

It was the last day of school before summer break and the others were looking over at their test scores. Groans echoed as others cheered.

I was one of the few not too happy with my grades. 15th out of 30 students.

I glanced over at the twin's grades and saw that Kaoru was 4th while Hikaru was 5th in class. My eyes widened with surprise. They were smarter than me! I thought since they were pranksters that they got lousy grades.

I kept my head downcast with depression. I looked over at Haruhi and saw she was at the top of the class.

"Wow. As expected from a scholarship student," surveyed Ryan from behind.

I jumped in surprise as I had completely forgotten that Ryan was in my class. Hikaru frowned over at him.

"What about it? What's your grade?" sneered Hikaru.

Ryan smirked and flashed his paper. My eyes widened.

"6th? Wha?" everyone cried out.

I slumped in my chair and banged my head on the desk. Haruhi glanced over at me with confusion.

"Are you alright Sakuya-chan?" she questioned.

I shook my head.

"No, I'm just amazed that all of you have such great grades. I feel so...dumb," I explained.

She smiled slightly.

"Well, all you have to do is study. It really isn't so difficult," she explained.

Kaoru sat beside me and patted my head.

"How about we tutor you?" he questioned.

I shook my head and sighed.

"No thanks. I'd rather enjoy my summer," I explained.

Hikaru grinned down at me.

"Let me guess. You never study when it comes to tests, do you?" he asked.

I jolted slightly and a blush crept up on my cheeks. I looked away with no intention of facing the others.

Hikaru smirked and nodded with satisfaction.

"Just as I thought," he noted.

I felt my ears start to color.

"Shut up," I whispered.

* * *

Haruhi arrived at my house around six with a small duffel stuffed with a few essentials and a sleeping bag.

"Hi Haruhi. Glad you could make it," I greeted.

She nodded and looked around in curiosity. The halls were bare as the majority of my servants were off vacationing.

"Hey Sakuya," she greeted.

I closed the door behind her and took her things over to the living room. She looked on in wonder and I smiled.

"I decided to have the party in the living room like when I was younger," I explained.

There was a look of uncertainty on her face yet she nodded. I looked on for a while and then it hit me.

"Wait, don't tell me this will be your first sleep over?" I questioned.

She nodded. I smiled and the two of us went into the kitchen.

"Well first things first. We must first get some snacks ready since we're watching a movie!" I exclaimed.

She smiled lightly and nodded.

I giggled with pleasure as I knew we were going to have a blast.

* * *

Hikaru sat in bed with a bored expression as Kaoru surfed the internet.

"Argh! There's nothing to do! I called Haruhi's place and she's not there. Ranka said she went to a slumber party," he wailed.

Kaoru just shrugged and looked up at the ceiling as he leaned on his chair.

"Why don't we just go mess with M'lord?" he questioned.

He shook his head and sat up. He grinned as an idea popped in his head.

"Let's go see Sakuya. I bet she's all by herself. Maybe we can go hang out," he explained.

Kaoru thought about it for a while and agreed.

"Let's get the whole gang together," he suggested.

Hikaru smiled devilishly and nodded.

"I like the way you think little brother," he snickered.

* * *

Now clad in pink and yellow pajamas, the girls were sitting on the couch with a huge bowl of popcorn in front of them.

The movie playing was a thriller that sent Sakuya screaming while Haruhi jolted slightly.

Terror was written on Sakuya's face and Haruhi wondered quietly why she suggested a movie that was clearly terrorizing her.

"Are you okay?" questioned Haruhi.

The grip on her blanket was so tight her knuckles had turned white. She looked over and smiled forcefully.

"Y-yeah. I'm okay," she replied shakily.

Haruhi knew she was lying and pressed pause on the movie. Sakuya looked on with confusion.

"Why not change the subject? What do girls normally talk about on sleepovers? Hm...Ah! Right...Um...boys? Do you have someone that you'd like to fawn over?" she questioned.

Sakuya looked up and tilted her head.

"Where'd you hear that?" she wondered.

Haruhi blushed and looked at the ground.

"Well, I was picking up this manga that Mei wanted me to read. I'm pretty sure that was what happened," she explained.

Sakuya thought for a while and thought back on all the people but drew a blank. She braided her hair and shrugged.

"Don't know," she explained.

Haruhi pressed on the subject.

"Well, what if you were in trouble. Which guy would you turn to?" she questioned.

Sakuya didn't even have to think about that question.

"None. I wouldn't want them to worry about me," she explained.

Haruhi sighed. She thought of another way to rephrase the question.

"Who do you trust the most out of all the guys?" she questioned.

This actually got her thinking. Thinking back from the start of last December all the way to now, she smiled softly.

She blushed softly at some embarrassing moments she had had with him.

"Well, I guess I'd have to say-" she began.

There was a loud crash outside. Haruhi jumped in surprise. As for Sakuya, well...

"Kyaaah!" she screamed.

After about thirty seconds she recovered and the girls stood from their seats. The two inched closer to the window where the noise was coming from.

"Grab those cans for protection," cautioned Sakuya.

Haruhi cocked her head, but Sakuya indicated the cans on the coffee table. Without glancing at the labels, she took two of the cans and handed one to Sakuya.

Sakuya produced a flashlight out of nowhere and the two slowly opened the window.

* * *

The twins had gotten a hold of everyone except Kyoya. He had said something about a business partner his father wanted him to meet and was of course in disposable.

As the five of them traveled to Sakuya's house, rain began to drizzle softly. The wind began to pick up just as they stopped in front of the dimly lit house. It was around ten and though it was late they weren't planning on going away.

Tamaki grabbed an umbrella from the stacks and they all headed for the gates. They rung the bell yet there was no answer.

Hunny looked up at the rest with worry.

"Do you think they're home?" he questioned.

Hikaru nodded with assurance though Kaoru knew that they should have warned them before coming over.

"She has to be. I mean its not like she has much of a social life," explained Hikaru.

Tamaki glared down at him.

"You devilish being! How could you make such an assumption?" he cried out.

Kaoru shook his head as Mori nodded in agreement.

"Maybe there was a malfunction on the intercom," reported Kaoru.

Mori used his keen senses and nodded in agreement.

"They're watching a movie in the living room," he explained.

The twins sighed and crossed their arms with the umbrella still above their heads.

"Now how do we get in?" they asked in unison.

Hunny's eyes glinted as he got a boost from Mori and jumped over the concrete wall. The other's eyes widened with shock.

"Should we follow?" questioned Kaoru.

Without much thought, Hikaru ran over to Mori and was boosted up. He sat on the wall with a smirk and waited for the others to climb up, not caring that his clothes were getting soaked by the rain.

"What's taking you guys so long? You're not scared are you?" mocked Hikaru.

Kaoru sighed and went along just as his elder brother had gone.

"Are you crazy? This is trespassing on private property!" exclaimed Tamaki.

The twins looked back with a smirk.

"That's never stopped you before," they explained in unison.

He growled and jumped over unaware of what was to come next. He jumped up and landed right on the twins.

There wasn't even time for them to cry out as the three of them toppled and tumbled to the ground with a loud crash.

The twins were muddied as they had ended up face planted into the ground as Tamaki was sitting on their backs.

They pushed him off and he landed in a puddle nearby as they glared.

"Way to go M'lord!" whispered Hikaru.

Tamaki glared back as he stood from the puddle as his clothes began to cling to him.

Mori jumped over easily and landed silently like a ninja. Hunny smiled and pretended he was a spy by staying close to the wall. He looked both ways and signaled the others.

"This way," he indicated.

The others went along with him. If only Kyoya were there to reprimand their idiocy. They could make a faint figure of Haruhi clad in yellow pajama bottoms and a frilly looking top with black slippers.

As for Sakuya, she was wearing a pink tank top and pink capri-like pajama bottoms with white bunny slippers on her feet.

_"Shouldn't we just go up to them instead of sneak up on them?"_ wondered Mori.

* * *

With a can of pepper spray in hand, the two of us walked outside where winds were picking up just as much as it was raining. Of course I took an umbrella and switched the slippers for some shoes.

"Is anyone out there?" I called.

There was silence and Haruhi shook her head.

"Maybe we should go inside. I bet that was just an animal or something," she concluded.

I shivered and nodded.

"Y-yeah. Maybe you're right," I agreed.

I turned and walked away, yet glanced back to see Haruhi inspecting something. I shrugged and went back to the open window.

I heard a gasp.

"Sakuya!" Haruhi cried out.

I froze in place as I felt a mud covered hand land on my shoulder. I spun around and screamed as I sprayed the can.

The stranger cried out in surprise, but pulled away the can from my grasp.

"GAH! What the hell Sakuya?" he cried out.

I opened my eyes and shined the flashlight in the direction to reveal a silly string covered Hikaru. The others came out of hiding and all looking equally muddied.

"Saa-chan~!" Hunny squealed.

He ran up to me and hugged me tightly. I patted his head and snickered at the others.

"Hey Hunny. What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

They looked down and blushed.

"Well, we wanted to see you. But when we rung the intercom, no one answered," the twins explained.

I sighed and shook my head.

"Sorry guys. But none of my staff members are here. They all went on vacation and I didn't hear the buzz since I was watching a movie," I replied.

The rain started coming down harder.

"Let's go inside," insisted Haruhi.

We nodded in agreement and climbed in through the open window.

"Why are we entering through here?" asked Kaoru.

I smiled and giggled. Must be a force of habit.

"Its closer. Besides, isn't going this way a lot more interesting?" I questioned.

The twins smirked. They were rubbing off on me.

"I guess we learn something new about you everyday," Hikaru commented.

When the last of us entered, I shut the window and sighed. I looked up to see all of them leaving tracks of mud on the carpet.

"Why don't you guys use the shower upstairs to clean up. There are tracks everywhere," I explained.

Haruhi looked at me like I was crazy.

"You sure about letting them do that?" she questioned.

I nodded. It wasn't a big deal really.

"Sure. There are some robes and towels there to clean up," I explained.

Tamaki squealed in pleasure as he was busy fawning over Haruhi in cute pajamas. As usual he was the last person to hear what was being said.

"Got it!" chorused the twins and Hunny.

Mori nodded and pulled the protesting Tamaki up the stairs with the twins trailing behind him and Hunny.

I settled back into the couch.

"So, you wanna watch the rest of the movie?" I asked.

Haruhi shook her head.

"Honestly. It's like you enjoy scaring yourself," she muttered.

I smiled and clicked the play button.

***111

* * *

Kyoya sat beside his father and across from a current business partner and his eight year old daughter. She giggled as she looked on at Kyoya. Her dark black hair was in pigtails and her eyes were a light brown. She was thin as she looked like quite active as she had a few scrapes on her elbows.

"Hi! I'm Kimiko. But my friends call me Kimi!" she cried out energetically.

They were negotiating toys and for some reason the man had brought his daughter when he heard the youngest son was going to come over.

Guess he didn't get the memo that the youngest son happened to be sixteen.

"Nice to meet you Kimiko. I'm Ohtori Kyoya," he greeted.

Mr. Ohtori glanced over at Kyoya. With an inaudible sigh, he stood and guided the active girl towards the door.

"Would you like to visit our play area?" he questioned.

She nodded with excitement.

"Is there a soccer court?" she questioned.

He forced a smile and nodded. Deep down, he was feeling like this was the end of the world as he had been assigned the role of babysitting.

***111

* * *

The boys exited the bathroom squeaky clean. As for their clothes, well as embarrassing as it might sound...They made Mori wash their clothes as he didn't get as dirty as them.

Downstairs, Haruhi and Sakuya had just finished up watching the movie. As they stood from the couch, they noticed Mori walking up the stairs with a basket of clean clothes.

Sakuya shook her head.

"Poor Mori-senpai," she muttered.

Haruhi sighed and nodded. The two walked into the kitchen where a bag of chips were sealed tightly. Sakuya grabbed the bag and opened it. She spilled the contents into a plate.

"So much for the slumber party," Haruhi noted.

Sakuya nodded.

"Hopefully after, like half an hour, they'll be on their way," she replied.

Haruhi shook her head. This girl might have been with them for more than six months, but she still had a lot to learn about the guys.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they stayed the night," she thought to herself.

Soft padding of feet came from upstairs and entered the kitchen. Sakuya yawned and went to get something to drink. With her back turned, she filled a cup of soda and set it on the table, ready for drinking.

"Great! A high cholesterol food fest! Just what the doctor ordered," the twins chorused.

Annoyed, Sakuya turned in an attempt to reprimand them yet, came across something she wasn't prepared for.

"If you're going to co-," she started, yet never finished as her eyes widened in shock.

The two stood there half naked. Wearing their pants and socks. Their shirt nowhere to be found. A smirk played on their lips. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"W-what are you guys doing parading around my house half naked?" she exclaimed.

They grinned and moved in closer.

"What's the matter Saa-chan? This too much for you?" they questioned.

She stepped back cautiously as she looked away.

"My isn't this a sight to behold. She's blushing," Hikaru noted.

She ran out of the kitchen and bounded up the stairs only to find Tamaki in the same predicament. Strangely enough, she seemed unfazed at this, though ran up the stairs when she saw the twins trailing behind her. She slammed the door to her room. Leaving the others speechless.

The twins bellowed with laughter. Haruhi walked over to them and smacked them on the back of their heads.

"That was cruel. I mean, sure that was a strong reaction. But that's because she's an only child. I bet that the only guy she's seen without a shirt is her dad. Go apologize to her," she insisted.

The two grumbled and donned on their shirts. It was kind of refreshing to see her embarrassed. They knocked on the door but heard no answer.

"Hey Sakuya! Open the door. We need to talk to you," Hikaru demanded.

"No!" she cried out from inside her room.

Kaoru knocked lightly.

"Come on Saa-chan," he pleaded.

The door opened slightly and the two took it as a sign to enter.

The girl in question sat on her bed with her legs pulled up to her chest. She glanced over at them with a tint of pink still evident in her cheeks.

"What do you want?" she asked sullenly.

The twins looked at each other and nodded.

"Sorry," they said quickly and left the room.

Her eyes widened with shock.

"What did you say?" she asked in awe.

"..."

There was silence.

Hikaru coughed and looked away with embarrassment. Kaoru looked over and sighed. Looked like it was up to him to make amends.

"We're sorry. We went overboard. I mean, we didn't realize you'd act like that," he explained.

Hikaru nodded and he surveyed her room.

"We didn't intentionally try to tease you, you know. Though what was that?" he asked.

Sakuya's face reddened a bit and she didn't dare look at the boys.

"I guess I should apologize too. There's really no traumatic back story to that. I was just surprised, that's all," she muttered.

Hikaru shook his head.

"This is pointless. Let's just get downstairs. I'm starving," he proclaimed.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. She stood from her bed and the three walked down the stairs as if none of this had ever happened.

***zzz

* * *

Kou felt tears trickle down his cheeks.

On his desk was a framed picture of a three year old girl with golden colored pigtails and wearing a dark blue yukata sprinkled with stars. Her dark blue eyes filled with tears as she held what was remaining of a balloon.

The woman with platinum blonde hair in a waist length braid and similar dark blue eyes. She was attired in a green tank top and black capris. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. She was slim and looked to be in her early twenties. She knelt beside her daughter and pointed at the invisible fireworks.

The man's hazel eyes looked on with concern as he was in the midst of picking her up. He was tall and had a full head of dark brown hair. The man was athletic looking and rather tall for a Japanese man. He wore a pair of tan pants and a red polo shirt. He was in his late twenties.

It was the same picture Sakuya had kept hidden from her father. The lights were dim and he replayed the words his daughter had told just a week ago.

"...You will never approve of me no matter what I do because deep in your heart, you hate me for taking mom away from you...Don't you just enjoy all that I've been through. I hate myself so much that I feel that there is no reason for me to even be alive anymore, because if I had to choose between living in solitude or death, I would choose death in a heartbeat if it helped mom recover!" she cried out.

He had driven his child to say the forbidden words after five years of silence. The impact had been so great, yet he was not about to face his daughter. He slammed his hand onto the desk.

"Why...why can't I say it!" he exclaimed.

The picture reminded him of the times when the three of them would go out for a picnic or a stroll in the park. They were always such a close knit family.

Yet...there was resentment. Though ill placed as he had finally come to realize.

He cursed himself for not reassuring her that he was against the thought of her even taking her life. Though maybe...maybe it was because deep in his subconscious that was what he had wished...

He shuddered and shook his head. No. It wasn't possible. How could a parent even think about hurting their child?

He slipped out a necklace from his pocket that held three rings. One was pink and looked small enough for a toddler to wear. Another was larger, though retained its feminine like petite size. It was encrusted with a small diamond, and the last was larger than the two. It was gold and inscribed the inside of the ring were the names of his wife and daughter.

He dangled it in front of his face as if in a trance. He gripped it tightly and buried his head in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

* * *

I sat at the table watching the guys eat whatever stuff I found lying around the house. Tamaki beamed down at me over the peanut butter sandwich that I made for him.

"This is delicious. As expected from my daughter," he gushed.

I shook my head and glanced up at the clock in the kitchen. 11:00 pm.

"So, are you guys planning on leaving anytime soon? Not that I don't enjoy your company. But you know, you kind of crashed my slumber party," I explained.

Hunny walked over to me with his big brown eyes.

"You don't want us here Saa-chan? I really wanted to hang out with you," he said with a trembling lip.

I immediately melted under his gaze. Almost like a trance. I immediately gave in.

"Why don't you stay the night?" I questioned.

The others cheered and walked into the living room where a collection of DVD's were set on the table.

"You've got quite a collection," noted Haruhi.

I nodded and sat on the couch in annoyance. The twins immediately chose a thriller, whilst Tamaki debated on a sappy romantic comedy. As for Mori, he was gazing at the Seven Samurai cover. Hunny picked a cheery movie about animals.

"Lets watch this one," voiced everyone aside from Mori, Haruhi and myself.

Haruhi and I sighed and knew it was going to be a long night.

"Choose whichever. I'm going to make popcorn. Hopefully then you'll have decided on one," I responded.

As the others argued about the genre, I made my way towards the kitchen.

"Wait! I'll go with you," called out a voice.

I turned to see Kaoru trailing behind me. I smiled slightly.

"Trying to get away from the bickering, I presume?" I questioned.

He nodded and rolled his eyes.

"It's just childish," he explained.

I raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Oh, says the one that was also involved?" I teased.

He blushed slightly and scanned the room in wonder.

"So, how's your mom?" he asked.

A sad smile eased its way to my lips.

"You've already asked me that like a week ago. Well, still the same. I'm hoping she regains consciousness soon. But then again. How would I act around her then? Will she even remember me?" I uttered my worries.

Kaoru placed a reassuring arm around my shoulders.

"Don't worry. Of course she'll remember you. When that happens, lets have her meet the club," he suggested.

I looked over and brushed away the water forming at my eyes and nodded.

"Definitely. She'll love you guys," I insisted.

He chuckled and with drew his hand from my shoulder.

"Now lets get that popcorn you were talking about," he suggested.

I smiled and walked over to the cupboard that was spilling with junk food that would be sure to get one sick in the morning. I looked on at Kaoru for help to reach the delectable items. He of course obliged. With his back turned, I felt my insides feel all happy and the depressing mood ease out. I smiled at him and then glanced over at the door leading to the living room.

"If I had to choose who I trust the most, I'd always answer the same," I whispered softly to myself.

Kaoru turned around with curiosity and the popcorn bag in hand.

"Did you say something?" he asked.

I shook my head and feigned innocence. He shrugged as I took the bag and placed it in the microwave.

"Hey Kaoru! Get in here. You're not going to believe this!" called out Hikaru.

Kaoru walked out of the kitchen with a grin.

"What is it?" he asked.

I stayed in the kitchen and sat on the table looking on with pleasantness.

"Kaoru."

* * *

**A/N:Well, here you go! After like three months of waiting. Its like a filler chapter but still, its an update. Part two will be in the next chapter and sometime soon I'll get to the halloween special even though by then it will probably be valentine's day. Lol. Oh and in the next chapter the winner of the drawing contest will have her oc submitted into the story. So look out for her in the upcoming chapter. ^-^**


	17. The Beach!

**Yukihime211 here! Well here is the long awaited beach scene. I don't think this chapter will be exceptionally long, seeing as I've got a good idea where I'm taking this chapter. My last chapter wasn't very successful. T-T But I'll try and make up for it in this one!**

**Disclaimer:I own nothing except my own OC's Ouran belongs to Bisco. Sorry if the characters are a bit OOC.**

**Chapter 16**

**To the Beach!**

I felt warmth wash over me as the few rays of sun peeked through the curtains. I sighed and opened my eyes slightly. I sat up and looked around to see Haruhi resting on the next couch. I checked my cell phone to see that it was around eight thirty am. I stretched and yawned slightly as I placed one foot on the ground. Suddenly, a hand shot out and tugged on my ankle. I cried out in surprise and fell on my butt to see Hikaru keeping a hold on my ankle. He grinned at me with a devilish smirk.

"Morning,"he greeted.

I scowled lightly.

"Oh right. You guys stayed the night, huh?" I said out loud.

He looked over with his usual mock hurt.

"How could you forget?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes and smiled lightly.

"You guys were just so quiet that it slipped my mind," I answered.

He grinned as an idea seemed to form in his head.

"Oh, really?" he asked.

I nodded. He leaned closer to me and I looked on with confusion.

"W-what are you doing?" I asked nervously.

He poked my side and I cried out in surprise. Suddenly, his hands found my ticklish spot and I began giggling out of control.

"Ahahahaha! S-stop! Hahaha! Y-ha you p-hahaha-p-pervert! Hahahaha," I squeaked.

* * *

Kaoru awoke to the sound of giggling. He rubbed his eye lightly and yawned.

"...P-pervert! Hahahaha," a female voice cried out.

He turned to his right where Hikaru had been sleeping to witness his brother looming over Sakuya. He froze in shock. Tamaki yawned as he stretched lazily on the ground. He peeked an eye at his surroundings.

"What's all the commotion?" he asked sleepily.

His eyes bugged out of his sockets in surprise. Hikaru actions were just...easily misenterpreted.

"W-what the heck do you think you're doing?" he cried out.

He ran at him and pushed him away from Sakuya.

"Are you alright Sakuya-chan?" he asked frantically.

Sakuya looked on with a sigh as he was crushing her in a bear hug.

"I'm fine," she explained.

She pushed him away while breathing softly. The others awoke with surprise at what was going on. Hunny yawned.

"Morning," he greeted.

Haruhi sighed in annoyance.

"What happened now?" she muttered.

Mori just nodded with Haruhi. Tamaki pointed an acusing finger at Hikaru.

"**Him**," he stated.

Hunny looked on with a tiny smirk.

"Ohh. I get it now," he whispered.

Kaoru's cell suddenly began to ring. Everyone jumped in surprise as he answered.

"Hello?" he asked.

There was a small silence.

"Morning, Kaoru. Mind telling me where everyone is?" Kyoya asked.

He laughed nervously.

"Oh...hey Kyoya. We're at Sakuya's house. Is there a problem?" he asked.

Kyoya sighed.

"Have you forgotten about what we have been planning for a long time?" Kyoya asked.

Kaoru slapped his forehead.

"The beach!" he exclaimed.

Kyoya just sighed and shook his head.

"Well, we'll be leaving in a few hours so get yourselves ready," he informed.

Kaoru groaned and hung up.

* * *

The ocean breeze fluttered and sand entered my flip flops as I set foot on the beach. The sand was warm and the water looked so inviting...

I smiled and made my way over, when a pair of hands came from behind and hugged me close. I turned annoyed to see Ryan wearing a pair of red swimming shorts.

"Could you **not** do that?" I asked.

He just grinned.

"Why not? You're just too unguarded, so its fun," he said.

A dark shadow loomed behind us. He let go and turned to see Kyoya looking at him with sharp eyes. I took the time to get away and ran to the changing rooms to get into my swim suit.

I could hear Hunny going on about how cute his life preserver was and I couldn't help but smile.

I quickly changed and walked out with a towel over my shoulder.

Several girls were flocking the guys as a certain **someone** had set up a club activity at the beach.

I sat on my beach towel, attired in a purple bikini. I had a small wrap tied around my hips. Taking out my sunglasses, I laid down and placed them on my eyes.

"Heads up!" called out Hikaru in my direction.

I blinked and sat up with confusion.

"What?" I asked.

Suddenly, I saw a volley ball heading in my direction on full speed. I gasped, but had no time to react. I closed my eyes tight, waiting for the pain to come, but it never did. I heard a loud thump and opened my eyes to see Kaoru flat on the ground with the ball leaving a mark on his shoulder. My eyes widened as I ran to him with shock.

"Are you okay?" I cried out.

He grinned up at me and sat up.

"Were you worried about me? I'm ok-ow!" he cried out.

I crossed my arms and glared at him.

"Oh, really?" I asked.

He waved his arm enthusiasticaly to prove his point.

"I'll be fine," he said and he moved it easily.

I shook my head and extended my arm.

"Come on," I answered simply.

His cheeks pinkened slightly as he took a hold of my hand and pulled him up.

"By, the way...nice swim suit," he said while blushing harder.

I looked down and blushed a little.

"Thanks. So...volleyball?" I asked.

He laughed.

"Yeah. Wanna play? I need an extra team mate anyway," he said.

I hesitated for a while...but then agreed with a smile.

"Sure," I said.

I walked up to his team and waved at the others and we started spiking the ball back and forth.

"I've got it!" called out a girl.

I smile and watched as it soared a little. Knowing it needed a little more power, I dove for it.

Girls cheered happily and I smiled.

* * *

Kyoya sat under an umbrella and watched as Sakuya and the twins were playing a match. Hikaru spiked the ball and it soared into Kaoru's direction.

"Hah!" he cried out as it soared back.

Sakuya giggled and cheered.

"Nice shot!" she called back.

Kyoya then glanced to see Ryan fuming. He gripped a beach ball and kicked it in their direction. It soared and slammed to the ground.

"Woah! What was **that**?" cried out Hikaru.

He glared at Ryan who was smirking.

"Sorry, my hand just slipped," he answered.

Sakuya sighed and frowned as Hikaru marched over to Ryan.

"Stop! He's not worth it okay, so just drop it," she instructed.

Hikaru frowned and pointed his finger at Ryan.

"But he-!" he began.

Sakuya grabbed his hand and pulled back towards the volley ball match.

"I know. But do you really want the girls to get freaked out because you can't control your anger? Just ignore him," she instructed.

Hikaru felt his face flush, but he cooled down and nodded.

"Fine," he said with a sigh.

Sakuya smiled.

"Good," she said and then went back to the match.

* * *

(New character intro...start!)

Seiphorah sat underneath the shade and watched with amusement. She wondered why she agreed to come along to the flashy Host Club outing though. There wasn't much about them that drew them to her other than the fact that she knew Haruhi Fujioka from long ago. No matter the fact that she had cut her hair and was currently crossdressing as a boy, those eyes and blunt personality were a dead give away.

Seiphorah tugged on her light brown locks and rose from the chair. She wasn't up for swimming and had decided just to wear a black sundress and a bow in her hair. Her pale complexion was far too delicate for the sun, but she had worn lots of sunscreen.

Taking out her violin, she played a serene piece and several girls crowded around.

"Wow, Sei-chan! That's so pretty. Have you been taking lessons recently?" a girl asked.

Seiphorah continued playing, satisfied with the little crowd she had drawn in. As the bow hit the last note, the girls clapped and she bowed lightly.

"Ah, thank you," she said smiling and was in the midst of putting her violin away, when she felt someone looming over her.

She briskly turned to see a certain blonde character. He smiled down at her seductively.

"That was such a lovely sound, Princess. The sight of your delicate fingers running along the string urges me to play along side you," Tamaki said.

The girls squealed quietly and Seiphorah pulled back slightly from him as he was standing so close to her.

"Thank you for the offer! But I'd rather not. Nothing personal or anything," she said smiling forcefully.

She made her way towards the concession stand with her case in hand to get away from them. As she made her way over, she bumped into a certain large eyed host.

"Oops! Sorry about that," apologized Haruhi.

Seiphorah nodded and took a comb from her bag and fixed up Haruhi's hair.

"There," she said and then retreated.

Haruhi looked at her oddly.

"That was...odd. Wait...was that? No it couldn't be," she said and shook her head.

She walked towards Tamaki, where he was surrounded by tons of girls. A few of the girls looked over at Haruhi and giggled.

"Hi Haruhi! What brings you here?" asked a girl.

Haruhi smiled and at that moment, Tamaki turned to look at her. He gasped.

"Did you come here to see me? You do care!" he said cheerfully.

Haruhi rolled her eyes.

"Clearly you need to get your brain checked. I just walked over here because it's cooler over here," she explained.

His face was downcast and he sat in a little secluded corner. The girls surrounded Tamaki.

"Aww, it's okay Tamaki. You still have us," chirped the girls.

* * *

Hunny and Mori sat on the beach, building a sand castle. Several girls watched in awe as they were so absorbed in their work. Hunny smiled with triumph as they stuck a little flag on the castle.

"Yay!" Hunny cheered as Mori nodded.

A high tide made its way toward Hunny's castle and brought it crashing down. The girls gasped with shock.

"Oh no!" a girl whispered.

Hunny gaped for a moment and tears flooded his vision.

"My...my castle~!" he cried.

The girls surrounded him with worry.

"It's alright Hunny! We'll make a new one! Please, don't cry," a girl cooed.

Mori glared at the waves and took out his kendo stick from out of nowhere and sliced it. But then it came back crashing down, drenching him.

The girls didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so stood speechless.

* * *

After a long while of playing volleyball, everyone decided to take a break. I sighed as I wiped a bit of sweat from my brow.

"Wow! That was quite a work out," I noted.

The twins wheezed slightly.

"You can say that again," they mumbled.

I smiled down at them.

"What? Couldn't handle he heat?" I asked curiously.

The two stared at me stonily and I couldn't help but laugh. A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around my bare waist and I squealed with surprise. I looked up, knowing full well who the perpetrator was.

"Looking good, babe," he greeted.

I jabbed his stomach with my elbow and crossed my arms. Ryan let go, even though it didn't seem to faze him much.

"Mind keeping your hands to yourself?" I asked.

"Sorry. No can do," he said cheekily.

The twins frowned in his direction.

"You know...this could be considered harrassment," began Hikaru.

Kaoru nodded and looked down at me.

"You know Sakuya, it wouldn't be too bad if you got a **restraining** order against this guy," he drawled.

I took that into consideration, but I didn't want to cause problems. I shook my head and tapped my chin.

"It's okay. It's not like he's stalking me or anything. But if things get a little too out of hand, that might not be such a bad idea," I explained.

Ryan's features hardened a little on the last note, but he shook it off.

"Hey, I was just being friendly," he said with a shrug as he walked off.

Once he was out of sight, the twins laughed hysterically.

"Th-that was priceless! He actually looked scared for a second," Hikaru said while he held onto his stomach.

After their little spiel, the two went back to their customers and entertain them for a bit.

I rolled my eyes and sat on my towel for about fifteen minutes before deciding to go for a little stroll.

The waves gently ascended and descended peacefully as the sun shone a little harshly. I walked towards the water and dipped my feet in it, feeling content. I wandered further and swam a bit, enjoying the coolness of the water.

There was a louds splash nearby as Tamaki entered the water, hopelessly attempting to capture the twins. I couldn't help but laugh, scenarios playing out on what they could have said to anger Tamaki.

"Having fun out there?" I called out to the three.

The twins waved to me and then dove underwater.

* * *

Kyoya sat on a table with an umbrella over head. He watched the others enjoying themselves while hosting and everything seemed to be running smoothly. Except for the exception of a certain nuisance;Ryan Ackerman. Sure he had backed off after the comment and he was actually wooing the girls with his bad boy attitude, but his presence was quite an annoyance not only to Sakuya, but to fellow host club members. Especially to Hikaru.

"Kyaah!" the girls squealed as the twins were going on with their brotherly love moments after getting out of the water.

In the background, Hunny was playing in the water with Mori by his side. Sakuya, was still in the water and had been in there for quite some time...

Kyoya stood and walked towards them, checking on progress. He gazed over at Tamaki with his rant about summer dresses and Haruhi just rolling her eyes with boredom.

"Looks like everything is going as planned," noted Kyoya.

A few girls nearby the water flagged him down. Adjusting his glasses, he walked over curiously.

"What can I help you with?" he asked with his hostly smile.

The girls smiled.

"Why don't you join us. Hunny had a brilliant idea of finding shells and such. Though I've never done something like that, it looks interesting!" a girl chirped.

Kyoya couldn't help but chuckle. Something like that wasn't something that he was fairly interested in. Sakuya sloshed over, being about waist deep in the water curious on what was going on.

Further closing in on shore, Kyoya noticed a piece of glass, precariously sitting there to be stepped on. Calculating by the look of obliviousness on Sakuya, it didn't seem she had noticed.

_"Stop!" _he thought in his mind.

Not caring he was getting wet, he jogged towards Sakuya's direction.

* * *

I walked to shore, wondering what was up with Kyoya.

"Uhm...what's up?" I called over to him.

As I neared, I slipped on something slimy and accidentally plowed Kyoya along with me.

"Oof!" he exclaimed.

"Chu!"

"!"

The others blinked in surprise. My lips brushed the corner of his lips and I stared down with shock. I quickly jumped off, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"I had no idea you were such a player, Saki," note Ryan with annoyance from behind.

I jumped again and flushed even more.

"I'm so sorryI'm so sorryI'm so sorryI'm so sorry!" I repeated as others looked at me with accusation.

Kyoya sat up sighing.

"It's fine. It was merely an accident afterall," he said with a shrug.

The girls squealed at his response.

"So cool!" they cooed.

A woozy feeling came over me as I neared my towel and I collapsed on it.

"Too hot," I whispered as I closed my eyes.

"Sakuya!" the twins cried out with alarm.

Kyoya sighed and shook his head.

"Heatstroke. We better get her inside a cool place. Honestly, does this girl even know how to take care of herself?" he muttered the last part.

* * *

Kyoya sat on a chair skimming a book in the living room of Nekozawa's manor. Quietly, he berrated himself for not thinking straight. He could have simply told her out loud or gotten his guards to do something, but he had stupidly panicked over nothing very serious.

Though it seemed the minor accident instigated the twins to glare daggers at him. Not that it really bothered him. It was just a little surprising, was all.

* * *

Haruhi was currently sitting beside Sakuya's bedside to keep her company.

"I'm an idiot, aren't I?" Sakuya asked Haruhi softly from her bed.

A damp towel was pressed to her forehead. Haruhi cocked her head in wonder.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

Sakuya sat up, the towel still on her forehead.

"Looks like I'm always causing trouble for everyone nowadays," she mumbled.

"Yes you are," replied Haruhi.

Sakuya pratfell and then sat up with a sweatdrop forming on the back of her head.

"I forgot how blunt you could be," she muttered.

Haruhi chuckled lightly.

"Sorry to be a disappointment. But even though you cause trouble, we know you mean well. As for all of these occurences, its better to not delve into it too much. It's all in the past, after all," she explained.

Sakuya nodded lightly.

"I guess so...but what should I do?" she asked.

Haruhi sighed.

"Well, first off, you better take of yourself better. I mean, it's common sense to wear sunblock as well as continue to hydrate yourself in this kind of heat," she stated.

Sakuya shook her head.

"Ah...that's not what I meant, but thanks," she said softly.

Haruhi shrugged and looked on apologetically.

"Sorry, I'm not very good at these kind of things," she replied.

Sakuya smiled and shook her head.

"No. You did help me. Thanks. Anyway, you should probably go down to go check on the others. I'll be fine," she replied.

Haruhi stood, a little unsure.

"Are you sure?" she questioned.

Sakuya nodded and waved as Haruhi exited the room.

* * *

Hikaru and Kaoru were in their room fairly upset. Sure they got it was an accident, but to see Sakuya ki...they couldn't even say the word!

"Can you believe that those two ki- bumped into each other like that," Hikaru mumbled.

Kaoru nodded absently still lost in thought.

"It was an accident. Let's just forget about it," he replied.

Hikaru gazed at him curiously.

"You feeling okay?" he asked.

Kaoru's mind drifted back to his declaration and he felt his cheeks heat up.

"Ah! Yeah. Why do you ask?" Kaoru said quickly.

* * *

Hunny and Mori were in the kitchen where one of Nekozawa's maids was handing them a few sweets.

"Thank you!" chirped Hunny.

The maid nodded and couldn't help but giggle from his adorableness. She left for some other duties and Hunny sat on a chair. He munched on a few of the treats.

"You know what Takashi? I have a feeling things are going to get even more interesting from now on," he confided wisely.

Mori nodded in response.

"Right," he replied.

* * *

Tamaki sat in the living room beside Kyoya as Haruhi entered brining news of Sakuya's state.

"She's fine. Just a little embarrassed is all," she replied nonchalantly.

Tamaki nodded and then gazed at Haruhi properly, seeing as she was wearing a checkered dress that her father must have left in her suitcase.

"You look so cute!" he exclaimed and hugged her tight.

Haruhi rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Calm down senpai," she said.

He released her having his usual girlish fantasies.

Suddenly a piercing scream echoed all over the manor.

Quickly, Kaoru shot up from his bed, running towards the noise, not looking back at his brother. When he arrived near Sakuya's room, he burst the door open and found her sitting on a desk with her legs pressed to her chest. She looked down, fear etching her features. Tears were bubbling at the corner of her eyes.

"Sakuya? What's wrong?" he asked her.

With a shaky finger she pointed to the ground and turned away from whatever was bothering her. He walked over and was almost about to reach her when she put her hands in protest.

"Stop!" she exclaimed.

A soft hiss came from below and he slowly looked down to see a snake with red, black and yellow stripes. (A milk snake) He gently picked it up.

"Is this what freaked you out?" he questioned.

She didn't turn to look at him, but he slowly moved it towards her.

"Get it away!" she exclaimed and tried to move back.

He nodded slowly and walked out of the room, searching for Nekozawa. It must have been a lost pet or something.

Quickly, one of Nekozawa's maids spotted Kaoru and the snake.

"Bad boy! Did you scare the guests again Kuro?" she asked the snake.

Kaoru handed her the snake.

"So, is this your pet?" he asked.

She nodded and stroked the snake's smooth scale like skin.

"He hasn't caused too much trouble, has he?" she asked.

He shook his head and walked back to Sakuya's room.

* * *

I didn't move an inch from my spot in case anymore of those...those **things** showed up again. Kaoru walked in with a questioning look.

"Aren't you coming down from there anytime soon?" he asked.

I shook my head and scanned the floor. Kaoru sighed and walked over to the desk and had his back facing to me.

"Get on," he stated.

I cocked my head in confusion.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He glanced back at me with a light chuckle.

"Well, if you're that worried about another snake appearing, let me carry you on my back. Then I'll prove to you there's nothing there," he stated.

I hestitantly wrapped my arms around his neck and he stood up, holding me piggy back style. He scanned the floor, lifting the covers and looked under the bed.

"Nothing here," he assured.

I quickly spotted something long and skinny near the bathroom entrance and I squeaked with surprise. I held on tightly to his neck.

"Over there! over there!" I exclaimed with fear.

He winced from the hold I had on his neck.

"T-take it easy. It's just a...toy? Wonder how that thing got in here?" he questioned.

I shuddered in disgust. I slowly loosened my grip.

"S-sorry," I murmured.

After a thorough search, we finally cleared the room for being snake free. He sat on my bed and I quickly let go.

"Uh...thanks," I said after a while.

He nodded.

"Anytime. But, you sure get yourself in tons of messes like these, don't you?" he teased.

I blushed and crossed my arms.

"What of it?" I asked defensively.

He ruffled my hair lightly and shook his head while chuckling.

"Nothing, nothing," he replied.

* * *

He reached over to pat down her bangs when the door opened and the majority of the host members peeked in.

"What was all that commotion?" asked Haruhi.

Tamaki walked in, indecent thoughts filling his mind when he saw Kaoru and Sakuya together.

"What is the meaning of this?" he exclaimed.

The two turned around in confusion.

"Huh?" they chorused.

Hikaru watched clearly shocked to see the two together.

"So, making a move, weren't you? And without me?" he teased.

Though Hikaru was clearly unsettled even though he tried to make it a joke. Kaoru laughed nervously and pulled away from her.

"Haha. Sorry bro, should have let you join in," he bantered back.

Tamaki started reprimanding the two whilst Hunny started smiling with curiosity.

Sakuya watched confused, but was glad the attention was no longer on her. It wasn't like they were doing anything, after all. Hunny bounded over to her.

"Want to go get some ice cream?" he suggested.

She giggled softly and nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," she stated.

As the twins were toying with Tamaki, she passed them and met the gaze of Kaoru.

_"We'll keep this our little secret,"_ she said with her eyes.

He nodded lightly and then turned his attention to Tamaki.

"You're just jealous!" they taunted.

Tamaki, even more angered started chasing after them. Their voices slowly faded as she, Hunny and Mori were making their way downstairs.


	18. Didn't See That Coming!

**Yukihime211 here! Fast update, no? Well here is chapter 17 of pieces of my heart. Muhahaha. You're wondering about the boyfriend's identity huh? Well get ready. Remember what a certain someone said a few chapters ago? Well it's time to pay up! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own OC's. Ouran belongs to Bisco. Sorry if the characters are a bit OOC.**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**Didn't See That Coming!**

"What? But that's impossible!" a girl shrieked.

Another girl shook her head.

"No, it's true. I saw the two walking together. But that's not even the best part. They were even...holding hands!" she explained.

A few boys stood near the window, spying on the certain couple in question.

"You know, they look good together. Though I would've never expected those two to...you know go out," another boy.

A few girls were crying from the news.

"If I had known he was looking for a girlfriend, I would have been the first girl to go up to him," they bawled.

A few boys shook their head.

"Get over it. It was bound to happen sooner or later," one boy said.

A chorus of girls gasped at his insensitivity and then continued with their crying.

"Seriously...getting worked up over something so stupid," murmured Ryan.

A few of the students looked at him with wide eyes.

"I would expect you to be the most disappointed of all," one boy said.

He arched his eyebrow in wonder.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

A few guys stood back from the boy that commented.

"Have a look for yourself," he stated.

Ryan walked towards the window, not expecting much, when his eyes fell across Sakuya. His eyes widened with shock and then hardened with anger. She was holding hands with...**him.**

"Of all people," he muttered.

* * *

I glanced over with a light tint of pink on my face.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked him.

He looked down with his usual poker face.

"It's normal to hold hands when in a relationship. Right?" he questioned.

I sighed, not really sure how to answer.

His larger hand gripped my own as we walked into the school building.

Summer break had come and gone rather quickly and lets just say...I'll definitely remember those past weeks for as long as I live.

People continued to stare at us as we headed towards my class. It was really making me self conscious.

"This is so embarrassing," I said softly.

He looked back down at me.

"That so? Then would you like me to make it even more embarrassing for you?" he asked.

He leaned closer and I felt my cheeks heat up. Out of nowhere, two pair of arms reached out and pulled us apart.

"Yo! How's it going?" asked Hikaru.

Kaoru wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Did you finish the summer homework?" he asked me.

"Um...we had summer homework?" I asked with panic.

I rummaged through my bag frantically. The twins chuckled softly.

"No need to get so worked up. I was just kidding," said Kaoru.

I glared at them.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I asked.

He chuckled softly along with Hikaru. I shook my head and then saw we were only a few yards from the classroom. I looked over at my "boyfriend" and waved.

"See you after class," I replied.

He nodded and placed a kiss at the temple of my forehead.

"Alright. I'll be waiting," he said and walked off.

My cheeks flared as a few people gazed over at us with a light smirk. Though Hikaru and Kaoru didn't seem too happy.

I walked into class and several girls barged up to me.

"How?" they asked.

I tilted my head with puzzlement.

"Huh?" I questioned.

They drew closer, their eyes boring holes into me.

"How did you persuade him to be your boyfriend?" a girl asked.

I tilted my head appalled.

"You must have bribed him!" another said.

I found that comment highly offensive! I clenched my fists and took my seat, promptly ignoring them.

* * *

Ryan frowned. As much as he didn't like the idea of the two of them together, he wasn't going to let the girls pretty much prosecute Sakuya.

"You're wrong," he said.

The girls turned to look at him.

"What?" they asked.

He looked up, a light glare on his face.

"Your childish accusations make me laugh," he scoffed.

Sakuya stared at him, wide eyed.

"Just because you were too **scared** to go up to the guy, doesn't mean you should blame her. The ones at fault were you girls. So instead of forming a **clique** and bully her enough to, I don't know... transfer schools? You should focus on fixing your two faced personalities," he said roughly.

The girls stared on as they were speechless. He stood abruptly from his seat and walked out of the classroom with Sakuya in tow.

"Hey! Wait, let me go!" she said with surprise.

He didn't seem to acknowledge her protests.

Haruhi walked through the door just around the same time as the two were walking out.

"Uh...Did I miss something?" she asked curiously.

Hikaru and Kaoru blinked in surprise.

"We're wondering the same thing..." they chorused.

* * *

I tried to pry myself out of Ryan's grasp.

"Okay! Can you please let go of me now?" I asked.

He released me, looking down at the ground.

"So...you're really going out with **that** guy?" he asked.

I rubbed my arm and nodded.

"Ah...yeah," I replied.

He stared at me, with an almost hurt expression.

"Why him? Am I not good enough for you?" he asked.

I felt a light stab in my heart.

"I..." I began.

A head popped out of the classroom, a light smirk planted on the boy's face.

"Hey Kyoya! Your girlfriend's here!" he called back.

I jolted in surprise and looked up at the classroom number; 2-A.

Kyoya walked out of the classroom, a little curious on what I was doing here. He then turned to look at Ryan, and it seemed to click in his mind.

"What's the matter, did you get lonely?" he asked me and looped his arm around my waist.

I froze slightly and gazed at Ryan. He looked on, stunned.

"Forget it. I'm out of here," he scowled and walked away.

When he was out of sight, I looked up at Kyoya.

"You can let go now..." I said softy.

He did so and crossed his arms.

"Alright...so tell me. What happened?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and quickly recounted what happened back in the classroom.

He arched his brow.

"Oh. So are you saying this is my fault?" he asked, a chilling aura seeming to appear from nowhere.

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling obligated to answer no.

* * *

Hikaru and Kaoru sat beside Haruhi.

"So...This whole dating thing is just a ploy?" she asked curiously.

They looked around, making sure no one was listening.

"Well..."

Kaoru zoned out, thinking back on what Kyoya had told him moments before asking Sakuya out.

_Flashback..._

_"Are you really okay with that guy pestering you?" asked Hikaru._

_Sakuya shook her head._

_"Not really..." she stated._

_He crossed his arms._

_"Then why don't you take the initiative to...I don't know, get a restraining order on him!" he exclaimed._

_Kaoru sat beside his brother, eerily quiet._

_She stood from her chair abruptly._

_"I can't do that!" _

_Kaoru looked at her, shocked._

_"What are you saying?" he asked quietly._

_She stared at the two, and took a deep breath._

_"I just...can't. As strange as it may sound, he still was my childhood friend. I can't bring myself to do something like that to him. He's suffered enough already," she explained softly._

_Hikaru sighed heavily._

_"There's got to be another way to get that guy off your back then..." _

_There was a soft click of loafers from behind._

_"Perhaps I can be of service."_

_The three spun around and gazed over at Kyoya._

_"What are you talking about?" chorused the twins._

_He walked over and sat on a chair beside the three._

_"Your little **boy** troubles seem to be causing a light decrease in our sales. I would have pointed it out sooner, yet there never seemed to be the right time to ask. What with all your drama," he stated._

_His gaze was directed at Sakuya._

_"So...what do you propose we do?" she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice._

_He cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses._

_"Ah, yes. Why not take a different approach in having Ryan back off?"_

_The twins and Sakuya waited for his answer._

_"How?" asked Kaoru._

_There was a light glint in his glasses and Kaoru seemed to get what he meant._

_"Wait...can I talk to you for a sec?" he suddenly said._

_Kyoya nodded._

_"Of course," he stated._

_Sakuya and Hikaru stared with a puzzeled expression._

_The two walked out of the room._

_"Are you thinking about...asking her out?" Kaoru asked, strangely calm._

_Kyoya took a moment to answer._

_"Not necessarily. But by pretending to be her boyfriend, he would likely back off," he stated._

_Kaoru looked down, and looked up._

_"Does it have to be you? Couldn't someone else pretend to be her boyfriend?" he asked._

_Kyoya adjusted his glasses._

_"Oh, are you saying you want to ask her?" he questioned._

_Kaoru shifted and didn't meet his eyes._

_"I..." he began._

_Kyoya turned back to the room._

_"Is that all you wanted to talk about? If so, will you excuse me?" he asked and walked back into the room._

_Kaoru looked down hopelessly._

End flashback.

Haruhi blinked.

"So he just said, 'let's go out' and that's history," stated Hikaru.

Haruhi was surprised.

"And...she just said yes?"

They nodded.

"Pretty much."

She shook her head, still trying to process this. The fact that she agreed to it was pretty odd though.

"Ah...I have a headache now..."

* * *

Hunny walked into the cafeteria with Mori trailing behind him. He smiled cheerfully, heading over to the usual table to eat. There was an empty seat beside Tamaki.

"Hi Tama-chan!" he greeted.

Tamaki smiled and waved.

"Hey Hunny-senpai."

Mori waved in response just as the twins dragged Haruhi towards the table.

"Huh? Where's Sakuya and Kyoya?" asked Haruhi curiously.

Tamaki shrugged, just as in the dark as some of the members.

"I don't know. But then again, Kyoya _did_ say that he had important business to attend to. As for Sakuya...wouldn't you know?"

Haruhi hesitated to answer and glanced at the twins.

"I take it he wasn't informed?"

The two nodded. She decided against answering and went back to her lunch.

* * *

I walked out of the classroom, making my way to the cafeteria when I spotted Kyoya leaning against the wall.

"You're late," he pointed out.

I bit my lip and shrugged.

"Sorry. Had some stuff to discuss with the teacher after class," I explained.

The hallway was fairly deserted, most likely due to the fact that students were dining in the cafeteria.

"What for? It wouldn't happen be over your lagging grades?" he pried.

I winced and looked down quietly.

"Maybe..."

Kyoya chuckled lightly and was about to make a rude comment, when two female students walked by. He grabbed my hand and pulled me along towards the cafeteria.

"Let's go. We can talk more later."

The girls giggled in our direction.

"Aw...how cute."

I turned away and sighed.

_"If only they knew..."_

We entered the rather loud cafeteria, where several students were already finishing up their meal. Tamaki waved at us cheerfully.

I reclaimed my hand and walked into the lunch line to get my food.

"Um...you should probably go. Tamaki's calling you," I said over my shoulder.

* * *

"Wait...were the two holding hands just now?" asked Tamaki with wide eyes.

Haruhi facepalmed. The twins didn't bother answering and went back to their meal.

"Maybe Sakuya-chan was lost and Kyo was helping her out," inputted Hunny jokingly.

Tamaki pouted.

"If she was lost, she could have come to Daddy..."

The twins snickered lightly.

"Geez, could you be anymore dense? Obviously she wouldn't get lost. She's been at this school for more than six months. I think she can manage," replied Hikaru.

Kaoru nodded his head in agreement.

"Think. Why else would two people be holding hands?"

Tamaki's eyes lit up.

"I know! She needed moral support. The poor girl can be a tad shy around others."

Hikaru couldn't help but ask,"Since when did you have an English accent?"

Tamaki looked at him curiously.

"Why whatever do you mean?"

Hikaru shook his head.

"Forget it..."

* * *

After paying for my food, I was still faced with Kyoya. He had also gotten in line and didn't seem like he would leave me alone. I sighed.

_"Looks like I'm stuck with him...for now anyways."_

I shuffled uncomforably.

"You were waiting for me?"

He reached for my wrist and pulled me towards the others.

"Why wouldn't I be waiting for you?" he asked with his signature smile.

Little depression clouds hovered over my head. We finally made it to the table and Tamaki's eyes almost popped. He shook Haruhi violently.

"The world is coming to an end! Th-this can't be possible. I'm dreaming."

Whilst still being shaken around she answered," S-sto-o-o-p it! Uh...I th-ink I'm going to be sick..."

He quickly stopped shaking her and then settled for hugging her tightly.

"Daddy is so sorry! Please forgive me!"

Hikaru rolled his eyes as we took a seat beside them.

"Chill out M'lord."

I blinked curiously.

"Uh...is he okay?"

Tamaki turned his attention to me, dramatically embracing me in one of his bear hugs.

"Sakuya-chaaan! Say it isn't so!"

I sighed shaking my head.

"What's wrong now?"

Kyoya placed a hand on Tamaki's shoulder.

"Would you kindly remove your hands from my girlfriend?" he asked, his smile making his way up his face.

* * *

**So...part two will be up shortly. I just thought instead of going any further that I'd stop there. That way I'll be less likely to make it too long. Also, sorry for the lack of updates. ;_; Yeah, I know much hasn't happened in the chapter. But I promise part two will. **


	19. What to Do?

**Yukihime211 here! Here's part two! How will things turn out this chapter? Read and Find out!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own OC's. Ouran belongs to Bisco. Sorry if the characters are a bit OOC.**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**What To Do?**

_Brief Recap..._

_Kyoya and Sakuya dating? Some people seemed to have a hard time with the news..._

_Kyoya placed a hand on Tamaki's shoulder._

_"Would you kindly remove your hands from my girlfriend?" he asked, his smile making his way up his face._

Several people were looking over in our direction and Tamaki let go, searching for a little emo corner to sit in. Kyoya grinned with satisfaction and went to eating his food.

The members blinked in surprise.

"Y'know...for a fake boyfriend...he's really getting into the role," whispered Haruhi.

Hunny ate quietly as he swung his legs under the table.

"Suspicious..." he said softly before giggling,"Ooh, maybe we can have chocolate cake for the wedding."

Mori nodded slowly as Hikaru frowned.

"You can't be serious..."

Tamaki was still stupefied by what he had heard.

"G-girlfriend? Sakuya and Kyoya? Together..."

Kaoru glanced at Tamaki.

"I think he's broken."

Haruhi rolled her eyes.

"What else is new?"

* * *

The school was abuzz with news of the two together and somehow made its way to Ryan's cousin's ears.

"So...the Brain and the Bimbo finally got together, huh? Interesting...I wonder how my little cousin is taking the news?"

He quickly got the answer when Ryan marched into his room and dragged him outside.

"I need your help."

Yuichi merely sighed.

"I figured you'd make an appearance sooner or later...What do you want me to do?"

* * *

I finished my meal in silence. The others were way too preoccupied with Tamaki. I stood up from the table and threw away my trash. I made my way out the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Kyoya from behind.

I almost jumped, but managed to suppress it.

"The restroom," I stated.

That statement made him leave me alone and I was grateful. It wasn't that I hated Kyoya...but with this whole dating business he was acting kind of clingy...Almost like he was afraid of leaving me alone.

I shook the thought off and entered the bathroom.

Later...

I washed my hands thoroughly in the sink. The restroom was seemingly empty. Which was strange... As I was drying my hands, I heard a stall creak open slightly. I turned around curiously.

"Anyone in here?" I called out curiously.

There was no answer. Shrugging and deciding it was only my imagination, I went back to drying hands. But I couldn't help but get the sensation that someone was watching me.

"Pull yourself together Sakuya. It's only your imagination," I told myself.

I was almost out the door when I found a stray picture on the floor. I slowly picked it up and turned it around, curious.

I gasped and instantly dropped the photo, almost as if it were on fire.

* * *

Haruhi scanned the table.

"Hm? Where'd Sakuya go?" she questioned.

Kyoya glanced at the direction of the restrooms.

"I'm guessing the restroom," noted Kaoru from the way Kyoya kept glancing in the direction.

The door for the girl's restroom bolted open and Sakuya walked out looking deathly pale. She rigidly sat down beside Kaoru.

"Uh...is something the matter? You look almost like you saw a ghost or something?" asked Hikaru.

She gave the others a tightlipped smile, shaking her head.

"No. I'm fine," she assured them.

Knowing her, she wasn't about to tell them what was really bothering her. It frustrated Hikaru sometimes, but if she wasn't willing to answer, he'd find out on his own.

* * *

Golden colored locks swished lightly as Seiphorah entered the restroom. She straigthened out her dress and adjusted her black bow. She looked down when she heard a slight rip.

"I hope I didn't rip my dress on something..." she whispered.

But what she was met with was a picture. She picked it up, piecing it together and blinked.

"What the hell is this? Some sort of sick joke?"

She decided to investigate more into the affair and put the picture in a baggy.

* * *

I sat in class, still feeling eyes on me. But strangely, they weren't coming from Ryan. I sighed and reached into my desk to pull out the book we needed for class.

I winced and quickly removed my hand. A small gash was scraped along my palm. Inconspicuously, I checked the desk and found a broken piece of glass pointed dangerously outwards. I removed it and put it on one of my handkerchiefs in order to throw it away.

I quickly walked to the trash can and threw it away. I sat back down in my seat sighing.

"This is going to be a long day..."

After class...

I walked out of the classroom only to be faced with Kyoya.

"Uh...hi?"

He grabbed a hold of my hand.

"How was class? Anything out of the ordinary happen?" he asked.

I gave him a confused look.

"Not...especially..."

He looked down at my band aid clad hand and frowned.

"Oh? Then what would you call that?"

I was quiet for a moment.

"It was just a small cut..."

He arched his brow.

"Do tell."

I sighed.

"Look. It's not a big deal, okay?"

He frowned slightly and tugged on my hand until we rounded a corner.

"You're not telling me the entire truth."

I frowned as well.

"I don't see why you're making such a big deal over a small cut. I'm okay. It's not like I was jumped or something."

He sighed deeply.

"Fine. Have it your way."

I looked around.

"By the way...where exactly are we going? Isn't the Music room that way?" I pointed out.

He smiled and a few students looked our way, probably eavesdropping.

"We are, my lovely kouhai going on a date."

* * *

"Date!" exclaimed Tamaki.

Haruhi rolled her eyes.

"Not this again..."

Hunny ate cake at his usual station and the twins were sitting on the couch.

"Chill out. We told you. They're not really going out. It's just a way to get Ryan to leave her alone," explained Hikaru.

Kaoru sighed softly.

"What's wrong Kao-chan?" questioned Hunny.

He smiled half-heartedly.

"Just wondering what kind of date the two are having. I bet they're having fun."

* * *

We sat in a quaint cafe' that students frequented after school. I quietly sipped my iced tea as Kyoya had excused himself when he had gotten a phone call.

"Oh joy. One of the best dates I've ever been in," I muttered softly with sarcasm.

This wasn't what I would call a date. But then again...I'd never actually dated anyone. I took another sip of my tea.

"I wonder who he's talking to?"

I mindlessly grabbed my own cell phone and checked to see if I had gotten any new messages from my dad. I laughed humorlessly at the thought.

"As if..."

Soft steps came from behind me.

"Who are you talking to?"

I almost cried out in surprise as I turned to see Kyoya standing right behind me.

"Just thinking aloud," I admitted.

He raised an amused brow and sat down to drink his ice coffee.

"Oh? What about?" he asked.

I sighed lightly and shook my head.

"Not something I really want to talk about right now..."

He quickly dropped the case and the two of us quietly drank our drinks. I kept glancing up at him every now and then, wondering what he was thinking. He sighed heavily.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" he questioned.

I set down my drink and gazed at other people bustling in the cafe. Several were getting all lovey dovey sharing drinks or holding each other close.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked.

He sighed softly.

"Alright. Let's get down to business. I should have warned you before, but I think it's in your best interest if I continue to take you to and from school."

I looked at him with confusion.

"In my best interest? What's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

Club hours ended not long after and the remaining members circled around their self-proclaimed king.

"Gentleman! I have a proposition for you," said Tamaki as he cupped his own face and was sitting on a chair, his usual stance in play.

Haruhi sighed.

"I'm going home..."

Tamaki stood up abruptly.

"No~ Come back Haruhi!"

She turned around blankly.

"I want no part in whatever you want to meddle in. Sakuya and Kyoya's business is their own."

Hunny yawned.

"Yeah Tama-chan. I'm getting kind of sleepy. Can we pick this up tomorrow?"

Mori nodded lightly.

"Let's go home Mitsukuni..."

Tamaki stared at them in a slumped manner. The only two left was Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Come on M'lord! Don't let them get you down," said Kaoru.

Tamaki looked up with shining eyes.

"Does that mean you'll help me?"

Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"Not a chance."

* * *

Seiphorah sat in the music room, tuning her violin just right.

"Will this really work?" she heard whispered voices coming from outside.

A sickly sweet voice gently laughed.

"I thought you'd have a little more faith in me. Was I not the one who informed you all of what was happening? Patience...In due time all your worries will be wiped away..."

Seiphorah felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Whatever they're plotting...I don't like it."

The voices subsided and walked down the corridors, far away from the music room. She opened the door a smidge and she spotted gardening gloves lying on the floor. Looking around quickly, she straightened them out and placed them in another baggy.

"Things are starting to get stranger and stranger..." she muttered softly.

* * *

I arrived to my house, annoyed. Let's just say...the date didn't go so well. For me anyways. All I wanted was to be left alone, yet now I was in a situation that I couldn't run away from. Kyoya had dropped me off, promises of picking me up tomorrow as well. The doors opened abruptly whilst I was lost in thought and I was dragged inside. The door closed with a loud bang.

"Sakuya-saaammaaaaa!"

I sighed softly, as I knew I should have expected something like this to happen sooner or later. Yoneko looked at me with widened eyes.

"Yes?" I asked casually.

She dragged me to the living room and sat me down.

"Since when did you start dating that young man?" she questioned.

I sighed heavily once more.

"It really isn't as it seems. He's just my pretend boyfriend. To get Ryan off my back," I explained.

She pouted, crossing her arms and looking out the window.

"Why couldn't it have been one of the twins? That would have made it a lot more believable," she pointed out.

I raised a brow at her childish behavior.

"How old are you again? I really don't want to go into detail about this, okay? Anyway, I'm starved," I said and stood up.

She stood up, fiddling with her apron.

"Well...there is something, else I'd want to discuss with you," she explained.

I looked at her with the tilt of the head.

"And what's that?"

There was a long silence before she answered.

"I'm getting married..."

My features morphed to one of surprise.

"Ah...congratulations," I said, still in awe.

She looked at the ground, face darkened.

"Thanks, but...after my marriage...I won't be able to...what I mean to say is..."

It dawned on me on what she was trying to say.

"You're quitting, aren't you?"

She nodded solemnly.

"I wanted to tell you earlier, but things were so hectic that I wasn't able to..."

I bit my lip slightly, unable to answer her.

"I see..." I said, voice wavering.

* * *

Ryan crossed his arms, waiting outside Yuichi's class with impatience. Though it was after school, his cousin had stayed due to his duty as 2-B's President. Finally, the green eyed boy exited the classroom.

"Didn't expect you'd be waiting out here..." noted Yuichi.

Ryan rolled his eyes with impatience.

"Whatever. Did you convince them?"

Yuichi chuckled darkly.

"My...Can't you trust your own cousin? Of course I convinced them. It's not that difficult, you know," he said with a shrug.

Ryan nodded softly.

"Good...just make sure things don't get too overboard, alright?"

Yuichi sighed softly.

"It isn't so simple. Though I may be able to influence them, I don't have that much control over how this little scheme will end up..."

Ryan tensed. Glancing out the window, he lightly tapped on it. A swirl of emotions fluttering inside him.

"This is the only way..."

Yuichi observed him quietly.

"Is it? Can't you honestly give up, this once?"

Ryan spun around; icy colored eyes stared back with determination.

"I can't! I...I won't..." the corner of his eyes shone mistily.

Yuichi stared in awe. Where had the confident young man who hid his emotions go?

* * *

The constant sound of ringing and answering phones echoed the large building. Cubicles were set up by the hundreds. But further through mahogany doors, was a smaller staff that took care of the main events. The staff answered to one man. The man? He stood in his office, staring at the desolate weather outside through his window. Mounds upon mounds of paperwork stood at his desk, untouched. It had been months since his child had left in order to chase after a lost cause. Now...it was time to bring his child back. He quickly picked up the phone, dialing a number that would be sure to help.

The phone rang once...twice...thrice. On the fourth ring, he was answered with a gruff voice.

"What might I help you with sir?"

The man paused for a moment.

"I need for you to make a retrieval. Are you up for it?" he asked.

There was a sound of affirmation on the other line.

"Of course Mr. Ackerman. With pleasure..."

* * *

**A/N: Okay...so I lied! This will end up as a three parter. Things are starting to get more dramatic, ne? I'm sad to say, but this fic that I have poured my heart and soul into will soon be coming to a close. Woo...It'll almost be two years since I started this fic...Wah...makes me feel a little teary. T_T That and the fact that I'm listening to bittersweet music. The pieces are in place and will soon be glued together...Just what are Yuichi and Ryan planning? You'll find out soon enough...**


	20. The Setup

**Yukihime211 here! Thanks everyone for reading, favoriting, alerting, and reviewing. You have no idea how much that means to me. ^_^ Part three is up now. The final part of this arch. Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays everyone! Here's a little present from me to you! Blame my delay over the fact that I tend to write long chapters. ^^; Sorry if this chapter isn't up to par. It _is _pretty late.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own OC's. Ouran belongs to Bisco. Sorry if the characters are a bit OOC.**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**The Setup**

A cold breeze billowed into my room from my window, scattering a few stray papers. My room door was locked. Well for obvious reasons. One of them being that I was extremely upset. Why hadn't she told me sooner? Why now of all times...Who was I going to turn to now? Well, there was always Kaoru...But I hated burdening him with drama that no one deserves to sit through. I flopped onto my bed, squeezing my pillow tight.

"Mom...I really need you right now..." I said softly.

The breeze suddenly got violent, rattling my room harshly. I sat up quickly, running to shut the window. Finally securing the lock, I was smacked on the head with a palm sized white box.

"Ow," I muttered under my breath.

I grabbed the box, and walked to my dresser. That's where it had originally been placed after all. I opened it, slipping in the box when my hand brushed across something silky. Curiosity getting the best of me, I retrieved the silky object and stared in awe.

"I can't believe I almost forgot about this..." I said softly.

The silken handkerchief with the initials K.H. sewn on it. (If you don't get the reference, read Butterflies and Inscribed Initials.) How long had it been since I last pulled this trinket out? Ah, yes! Just after meeting the twins. That seemed like ages ago now...In that time, so much had changed. Both good and bad. I sat on my bed, clutching the handkerchief to my chest. The texture between my hands managed to calm me down somewhat.

"Maybe it's a sign..." I said softly.

* * *

Kyoya sat in the limousine and sighed heavily.

"That girl has no idea how much trouble she's causing for being so vulnerable..."

He pushed up the bridge of his glasses and then strode out of the car. He had finally arrived to his destination and saw no reason to ponder such things for such a long time. Afterall...he already knew the outcome. He entered the rather vast mansion and headed directly to his room. Closing the door behind him, he set down his laptop on his desk and booted it up. The norm for the forever dubbed Dark Lord. Opening his email, he came across several e-mails from the "Crown Prince" better known as Tamaki Suoh. Kyoya rubbed his temples.

"What does the idiot want _now_?" he muttered.

He actually took the time to read the mail, yet all were pretty much the same. After clicking the final box, he was bombarded by an annoying request to Video Chat. He ignored it for a while, deciding to finish the project he was working on. He figured after five minutes Tamaki would stop, but he was wrong...Kyoya held a pencil in hand and a tick mark appeared on the base of his head.

This went on for almost ten minutes and that's when he literally snapped. The pencil he held was now broken in two and just because he couldn't take it any longer, he answered.

"What?" he asked with annoyance.

On the panel, the Drama King burst into tears.

"Mother! How could you be so cruel?" he wailed.

Kyoya was not in the mood to banter with Tamaki.

"Exactly what did I do?" he asked.

Tamaki gasped, eyes wide.

"How could you just abandon me like that? We were supposed to have a meeting today..."

Kyoya almost face palmed. How could he have forgotten? His stress level was pretty high these past couple of days...Maybe that was it. He kept on a straight face and looked nonchalant.

"I know...I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

Tamaki wanted to argue, but then remembered that one time with that football player who was also Kyoya's 'childhood friend' and shut up. But still, he was appalled that someone as organized as Kyoya would forget something so important. He crossed his arms, back turned away from the camera.

"So...make it up to me."

Kyoya raised a brow in curiosity. Well...this was a first one, that's for sure. For his own amusement, he decided to respond.

"How so?" he questioned.

Tamaki glanced back at the screen, eyes still watery.

"Break up with Sakuya-chan..."

Kyoya's lips contoured into a small frown. He blinked in surprise, not expecting such a request from his best friend.

"No," he answered simply.

Tamaki turned back fully with concern.

"Why not? You know things won't end well...they never do. It could get dangerous."

Kyoya stared back at Tamaki firmly.

"You don't think I already know that? I knew the stakes, but that's why I'm making sure no harm comes her way."

Tamaki looked at him helplessly.

"But...do you honestly think that this will work?"

Kyoya glared at him in annoyance.

"Are you saying you doubt me? If that's how it is, that's fine by me."

Tamaki shook his head.

"That's not what I meant! It's just...I don't want to see the two of you get hurt."

Kyoya exhaled softly. Sometimes Tamaki could be such a pain, but he knew that he meant well.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine. After all, this is only temporary. After the Ackerman kid is out of our hair, we'll go back to how we were before."

Tamaki still retained the worried expression and he observed Kyoya silently for a moment.

"Will we? Or would you just like to think it will?" he asked.

Kyoya sat in his chair speechless. Sometimes that blonde idiot could say some wise words. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as he led on...

"I need to get back to my project, Tamaki. I'll talk to you at school, alright?" he said finally.

Tamaki looked like he wanted to say more, but he just nodded his head.

"Okay...And hey. You better not skip out on the club tomorrow okay? Or I'll throw a fit," he said lightly.

Kyoya chuckled.

"Of course not, _daddy._ I wouldn't even think of missing such an important date," Kyoya responded.

He clicked on the exit box and exhaled softly.

"Things are getting more and more complicated..."

111

* * *

The next morning...

The chilly air billowed outside, making Kaoru shiver. He was currently standing outside mansion doors, waiting for the Benz to pull up. Hikaru stood impatiently beside him, pacing. He threw up his hands in the air.

"I can't believe it's getting so cold when summer just ended..." groaned Hikaru.

The two of them were wrapped in matching warm scarfs. Kaoru nodded, breathing warm air into his cold hands. Finally, their ride to school pulled up and he sighed in relief.

"I know, huh? Anyway, let's get into the car. I'm freezing," he replied.

Hikaru wrapped an arm around his little brother and he snickered lightly. He held him close, not letting him pass, just because he enjoyed annoying Kaoru sometimes. Kaoru in turn, crossed his arms in annoyance, shivering once more.

"Don't be such a baby," he teased. That is, until he shivered as well. "Let's go."

Kaoru couldn't help but chuckle.

"See how it feels now?"

Hikaru didn't answer and the two entered, shutting the doors behind them. They rode off to Ouran Academy, where Tamaki and co. would be waiting for them. Once the Benz pulled up to the front, the two walked directly into the school. No way were they going to stay outside to freeze their butts off. But that was just an exaggeration.

* * *

There was a knock upon my door the next morning. Fully dressed, I already knew who was at the door. I sighed softly.

Two months from now...that's when the wedding was to take place. Yoneko was already packing up her things too. Maybe I could convince her somehow...I shook my head. I couldn't do that to her. Not now when she had finally found happiness and a way to escape this place for good...

"Sakuya-sama? Sakuya-sammma?"

I looked up abruptly once I saw a hand in front of my face. Yoneko gazed at me with concern and I looked up to see Kyoya waiting expectantly.

"Oh! Um...hello Kyoya-senpai," I greeted.

Kyoya smiled his usual calculating smile.

"Morning," he greeted back.

Yoneko had a nervous smile on her face and she waved as I walked out the door with my bag in hand. The door shut behind me and Kyoya's smile loosened.

"What seems to be on your mind?" he asked curiously.

I blinked a couple of times and looked up at him.

"Huh? Oh...it's nothing..."

He groaned, slightly annoyed. I gazed at him quietly, trying to figure out if I was going to be lectured or not. But what came next was far more confusing. We continued our walk to the car.

"You realize keeping in all those emotions bottled up isn't such a good thing. One day, you're going to snap and then what will happen? If you keep pushing people away, you'll just end up all alone again. And that would surely break Kaoru's heart..."

I was no longer in step with Kyoya and instead froze on the spot. He studied me closely, either waiting for my reply or just wondering about my actions. I looked to the ground for a moment before I grabbed his hand, pulling him into the car and closing the door.

"It's stupid really...she's quitting, that's all I'm saying."

Kyoya raised a brow, seeming to understand.

"I see...So your maid is quitting? Judging by your reaction, she means a lot to you."

I nodded; slightly surprised he could read me so well only after saying one sentence. I buckled my seatbelt, and then glanced up at him.

"She's like a second mom..." I explained, slightly embarrassed I was having this conversation with someone I don't exactly always get along with.

Throughout the car ride, I was only accompanied with silence. Which was perfectly okay with me. Not like I wanted to be interviewed about my life. The facade of being a couple would have to keep up once we exited the door, so I took the time to prepare myself. Though...how was I supposed to accomplish that?

We finally pulled up to the drop off area for Ouran and the two of us exited the car. At that moment, Kyoya took a hold of my hand and pulled me along to class. Just as the day before...I wondered silently how long we would have to keep this up?

111

* * *

Eyes scanned the computer; heavily guarded information was slowly being leaked to those that would use it to their own benefit. Just as they were promised. Pouty pink lips slowly formed into a simple smirk.

"Perfect...Say goodbye to your happiness..."

* * *

Tamaki waited impatiently in Sakuya's seat, several first years looked at him oddly

"Uh...Tamaki-senpai...What brings you here?" asked a girl curiously.

He stood up from the seat smiling.

"Well, I could never stay away from this room for long. Not when there are so many pretty young ladies sitting here, waiting for their prince," he explained.

The girl blushed and several others squealed. Though from the looks of things there was another reason why he was there and she didn't have to wait long to find out. Sakuya walked in, a brief goodbye was exchanged between the two. (Her and Kyoya)

"Sakuyaaa~"

Tamaki charged towards her, but Kyoya intercepted by tugging her out of the way and ended up the one being hugged tightly. At the moment, Haruhi entered the classroom and gazed at the two curiously.

"Affectionate as ever, I see," she stated.

The fangirls squealed. Tamaki removed his grasp of Kyoya, eyes widening. Hikaru and Kaoru, still in their seats, watched the ordeal play out with amusement.

"Haruhi! It's not what it looks like!"

She rolled her eyes, sitting in her usual spot. The twins were unable to control their laughter.

"What's this? Now the shipping will increase tenfold!" they exclaimed, tears brimming near their eyes from laughing so much.

Sakuya traveled to her seat, not in the mood for anything to start up first thing in the morning.

"Looks like you've got competition..." teased Hikaru.

She merely shrugged making sure to talk softly while the others were preoccupied with Tamaki and Kyoya.

"Fine by me..."

Kaoru couldn't help but crack a smile.

111

* * *

After the little incident everything went back to normal...well not exactly. I sat at my desk both my hands covered in band aids. Haruhi winced, staring in awe.

"You sure you're alright? I may not be the most observant person, but even I can tell something isn't right," she replied.

I sighed softly. Great...another thing to worry about now.

"I...I'm fine. They're just a few simple cuts," I assured, though deep down I didn't know what to think.

Grabbing my things, I headed to Music Room 3 where everyone was waiting. It was kind of nice going back to our daily routine. Though I wouldn't admit it out loud, the host club business was growing on me. That gave me a chance to hang out with the others and make me feel...well happy. Haruhi trailed beside me, still in a pensive mood.

"Hey, wait up!" called after the twins.

I turned to the two and stopped patiently. They jogged over to the two of, wearing identical frowns. I sighed heavily, waiting for the expected words to spill from their lips.

"What is it? Something you'd like to say to me?" I questioned.

They reached for my hands, examining them carefully. Haruhi gazed at them quietly, but tapped her foot a bit from impatience.

"Well...Should have seen this coming a mile away..." muttered Hikaru.

Kaoru nodded his head in agreement. I stared at them blankly. What were they getting at?

"It was pretty obvious. Though these kind of things are a little out of hand, don't you think?"

My brows furrowed, confusion etched onto my face.

"What are you getting at?"

They stared at me with genuine surprise.

"You honestly don't get it...do you?"

Just as about he was about to answer, Kyoya walked into the classroom expectantly. The twins backed off, dropping the subject.

_"Oh, I get it...I just choose to ignore..."_ I thought to myself.

The five of us heading towards the host club. People were chattering around us, several heading home, others to their daily club activities. There was silence between us...and it was a little awkward. Kyoya adjusted his glasses, glancing at us curiously.

"Something the matter?"

No response was voiced...Haruhi shifted uneasily.

"Er...Hey, look. Tamaki's waiting for us," she pointed out awkwardly.

Sure enough, there he was. He waved with a silly grin on his face. The tension soon washed away and the twins jogged over to the Prince, ready for teasing.

* * *

Ryan winced, checking the calendar on the table in his cousin's guest room. Only a few more days...That's all the time he had left.

He stood from the bed, trying to think of a way to make things go quicker...He would talk to Yuichi later that afternoon when he returned back to the house... Pacing...that's all that he could do for now...

There was a knock on his bedroom door and he slowly opened it with annoyance.

"What do you want?"

The young woman outside his door held out the receiver.

"It's your father..."

* * *

Spread out along a table were two suspicious items. One being gardening gloves with remnants of glass along the grooves. The other was a torn picture...that she really didn't want to get too much into detail. Seiphorah sighed.

"It doesn't make any sense..." she muttered.

* * *

"What's the matter with him?"

I glanced at Kyoya curiously. He merely adjusted his glasses, and walked off, avoiding the question and pretending he didn't hear me. Some boyfriend...

So, Tamaki was still acting all dramatic and kept on giving Kyoya meaningful looks. Which was kind of weird... I decided to drop the case and lounged around on the couch. Not like I had much of a right to be here anymore...Seeing as I wasn't hosting anymore. Well for the time being anyway.

"Hey...can I go home?" I asked out of the blue.

The others stared at me for the first time since I entered the room.

"Why do you want to go home? Family troubles again?" asked Hikaru.

Haruhi sighed as the others just looked on with confusion.

"Well, you know. I don't see why she shouldn't be able to go. It's not like she'll get any more customers anyway," she said with a shrug.

I couldn't help but wince at the bluntness. Though it was true. Now that I was 'going out' with Kyoya, I doubted they would try getting even a few meters near me anymore. Hunny and Mori looked at me curiously.

"Ne, Saa-chan. What's the matter?" asked Hunny.

I couldn't help but smile as he tilted his head slightly.

"It's nothing. I'm just bored is all," I replied.

We went about our daily activities and thankfully ended in a rather peaceful manner.

* * *

Days went by slowly and foreplay was becoming more and more evident. No one would be able to say otherwise. Yet the ever secretive girl made no sign of acknowledging it. At least, not in public. That morning, Kyoya was unable to attend school due to some family event, so she was on her own. Sakuya was cutting it close, only having a few minutes before school started. Car troubles again...As she entered the deserted hallways, she was blocked by several scowling girls.

"Uh...can I help you?"

The leader towered over Sakuya's small stature and she crossed her arms, looking at her with scrutiny.

"I'd figured by now you'd break. Guess I was wrong..."

Sakuya simply blinked.

"What do you mean?"

Another girl rolled her eyes and several snickered quietly.

"God, are you really _that_ **_thick_**?"

The leader was a girl that was tall and somewhat bony. Her dark hair was styled in a short bob and her coal colored eyes flashed sharply.

"What? You really want us to spell it out for you?" she asked harshly.

Sakuya felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment. She didn't meet their gaze and was silent for a moment.

"I don't have time for these silly games. Now could you please move aside? I don't want to be late for class," she insisted with confidence.

Her blue eyes met their gazes steadily. Caught off guard for a moment, the girls chattered nervously. The leader stood her ground, whipping out a golden yellow manila from out of nowhere.

"We'll see if that confidence holds once this gets around!"

Sakuya's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What? I don't see how a piece of paper will do you any good."

One of the girls snickered.

"Show her, Ami," she insisted.

Ami, aka the leader of the group, was smug and waved the folder around teasingly.

"You reeeally want to know?"

Sakuya didn't like the tone in her voice, and sighed.

"I honestly could care less, but since I've got no choice, just come out with it."

Hey, she wasn't going to be nice to them if they weren't to her. Ami frowned.

"Fine, I will!"

She opened the manila, taking out several papers out and shuffling them angrily. Sakuya stared at her.

"I'm waiting..."

One of Ami's followers groaned in annoyance.

"Oh for Pete's sake! This is taking way too long! Sakuya Mazaki, you're just a common little girl that brought on your mother's demise! You never belonged here in the first place. So take a hint and know your place."

Her stomach almost dropped once those words were uttered. She clenched her fists, voice wavering.

"My mother's demise? Your sources must be faulty."

Ami sent a glare at the blabber and then scanned the paper slowly.

"Right...It says here it was a hit and run, correct? Oh, but it might as well be your fault anyway. Little miss run away."

Sakuya trembled violently.

"No! I..."

The girls giggled cruelly.

"What? Cat got your tongue? Of course you can't say anything. Seeing as its true. How long has it been since your mom's been in a coma? Five, six years? Why don't you just pull the plug now and end it all?"

A choked gasp escaped Sakuya's lips. Ami's cruel smile grew. She took a step forward, shuffling through more papers. There. That was the reaction she was hoping for. Sakuya looked for an exit but was blocked.

"Oh, we're not done here just yet. I wonder what your precious friends would say after they were to find out about this? Better yet, the entire school! Sweet little Saki-chan isn't anything like they pictured. You think you can fool me with those looks? Well think again!"

The girls chorused an affirmation.

"And that rag to riches story makes me sick! You're not worthy enough to be called Kyoya's girlfriend!"

Sakuya shut her eyes and covered her ears, trying to block them out. Insult after insult was thrown at her like sharp rocks that was tearing her apart inside.

Seiphorah walked along the hallway with sheets of music in hand, rounding the corner, she spotted a group of girls verbally attacking the girl from the host club. What was her name? Saku-something... Her shoes clicked softly against the floor.

Seiphorah decided to play dumb for the time being.

"What are you girls doing out? Shouldn't you be in class?" she asked curiously.

* * *

Several girls turned to look at the new girl, shifting uncomfortably. I took off, taking the minor distraction as a way out. Small droplets hit the ground one after another. I must have looked awful, but at the moment, I could no longer contain myself. I just kept running, unaware of my surroundings.

"How could they say such cruel things...?" I thought to myself.

My body felt as if I were on autopilot and somehow ended up crashing into an unsuspecting passerby. I didn't stop to apologize. I had no idea how far I traveled or which way I was going until I stopped to catch my breath.

Scanning the floor beneath me, I gasped in surprise. But I didn't have time to do anything else as a speeding car's horn blared, heading in my direction and didn't look like it would stop for anything or anyone.

111

* * *

Mori sat in class and restlessly tapped his pencil. He had a dreading feeling that something was really off.

"Morinozuka-kun..."

Mori looked up abruptly to see a timid girl with glasses looking at him with concern. Ah, it was one of his valued customers from the club. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

She whispered the page number they were supposed to be reading as they were in their English class. He gave her a brief thanks before turning to said page. This went unnoticed by Hunny. He would ask the stoic 3rd year what was the matter once study period rolled along.

000

In the Second year classroom, Tamaki was idly flirting with the girls, but as he did, he heard faint chattering just outside in the hallway. Which was strange, since students should have been in class a long time ago. The teacher had left to get a few things from the faculty room, so Tamaki took it as a chance to investigate.

"Excuse me ladies...Sorry to cut our time short. We'll talk more at the club, okay?"

The girls giggled, a few disappointed but nodded. His soled shoes clicked softly against the floor. He continued walking, following the noise until he saw the group of girls talking to a girl with notes in hand.

"This doesn't concern you," replied the taller girl.

Upon closer inspection, he remembered seeing her once at the club as one of Kyoya's customers. The lighter haired girl smiled passively.

"It may be true. But its best you headed out. Wouldn't want the teachers finding out, hm?" she replied sweetly, but there was a hint of...something underneath.

The little group dispersed and headed to their designated areas. All but one.

"Hello, ladies. Is there something I might assist you with?" Tamaki asked charmingly.

Ami scowled lightly.

"Oh, Suoh-san. No..."

He wasn't oblivious of the tension that was running through the two girls.

"Are you sure?" he asked gently.

Ami snapped, scowl still present on her face.

"Can't you just mind your own business? This is why I prefer Kyoya-kun more than anyone."

He took a step back, feeling a little hurt. Seiphorah stared at him curiously.

"Ah, I remember you. Suoh Tamaki-san correct? Excuse me, but I think our conversation has ended," she said to Ami smiling and walked over to him.

This was her chance to finally set this mystery to rest. Ami stared in shock, not use to being brushed off like a simple piece of dust before. But she turned away, nose up in the air as she headed to class. Tamaki smiled slightly.

"Ah, you're the girl that played the violin back at the beach, correct? Your playing was quite lovely."

Seiphorah gave a brief thanks.

"There is something I'd like to discuss with you. If memory serves me, there is a girl in your...host club?"

Tamaki nodded slightly.

"Yes. Sakuya-chan, right?"

Seiphorah nodded.

"Of course...She-"

The sound of desperate steps traveled into the school.

"Someone call an ambulance! There's been an accident!"

Seiphorah froze for a moment.

"It couldn't be...could it?" she muttered softly.

Tamaki leaned in curiously.

"Is something the matter?"

Seiphorah nodded, wringing her hands together, hoping that her prediction was wrong.

"That girl ran out of the school almost in tears..."

Tamaki blinked in shock. Shakily looking back at Seiphorah.

"No...You can't mean..."

Before she could say anything else, Tamaki took off towards 1-A...Hoping...Praying that she was okay and really in class talking with the twins and Haruhi.

He slammed the door open, breathing heavily and frantically scanned the room. Haruhi stared at Tamaki with awe.

"What's the matter senpai?"

He continued sifting through the students until he could no longer stay so optimistic.

She wasn't there.

000

Kyoya sat in the meeting room, listening attentively. It was something his father always expected of all his sons. Today was no different and to be honest, Kyoya saw this as a sort of test. He surveyed the client's confidence and noted that this guy meant business. Not a wrinkle in his suit and the need for everyone to be right on schedule.

An annoying buzz shook Kyoya's pocket. Several of the people present at the meeting continued talking, unaware of the disturbance. Kyoya decided to ignore it for the time being. He had a feeling that it was Tamaki. He inconspicuously glanced at his wrist watch.

"Strange. Why would he be calling me at this hour. Classes are still in session..."

His minor distraction did not go unnoticed by his father who scrutinized at the sound. Kyoya assessed the fact that this had to be important and excused himself for a brief moment. After exiting the meeting room, he speed dialed Tamaki's number. He picked up the first ring and before Tamaki had a chance to answer, Kyoya took the liberty to go first.

"This better be important..."

There was silence on the other line and Kyoya wondered if it was due to bad reception or something.

"You need to get back to school. Immediately," said a grave voice.

When Tamaki was serious, something was definitely wrong.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

* * *

Darkness. It was pitch black all around me, faint voices filtered my ears. The faint sound of beeps monitoring a heartbeat was also in the background. It was all too familiar. The scent of disinfectant all too strong. Slowly, I opened my eyes and everything was a blinding white and I couldn't help but wince.

"She's come to," said an unfamiliar voice.

There was some more whispering which I couldn't really hear. I slowly sat up, wincing. Gingerly, I touched a gauze placed on my upper right part of the forehead.

"The hospital..."

The door burst open just as my vision was clearing up.

"Sakuya-chan!"

I saw the familiar outline of a certain tall blonde followed by several others.

"Hm?" I said softly.

I was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace.

"We were so worried about you!" he wailed.

Finally, there was clarity and I saw the worried expression written on Tamaki's face. Trailing behind him was the rest of the host club members.

"What happened?" I asked, still a little out of it.

He fell silent and Haruhi walked over tentatively.

"You mean...you don't remember?"

I shut my eyes for a moment, trying to recall how I ended up in the hospital.

Kyoya stepped forward.

"It's quite simple why you're here, actually. You were carelessly walking in the middle of the street and ended up colliding with an oncoming car."

My breath hitched with surprise.

"W-what? But then...how did I manage..." I trailed.

The others shifted quietly.

"If it wasn't for him, you probably wouldn't be here right now..." said Hunny softly.

Who? Who were they talking about? I shut my eyes for a brief moment, trying to recall what had happened and then...it hit me.

"Where is he?" I asked softly.

/

I walked up to the room tentatively, until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to come with you?" asked Haruhi.

I nodded, trying to look confident, when really I wasn't. But it had to be done.

"Yes. I need to do this on my own. That way, we can end this once and for all."

Haruhi nodded, respecting my answer. She hesitated or a moment and I looked at her skeptically. She looked she was trying to say something to me. I waited anxiously for her reply.

"Just...if things get out of hand...make sure to call. Okay?"

I was shocked. Was she that worried? I couldn't help but smile as I nodded.

"Don't worry! I will. Well...here I go!"

I attempted to sound pumped. She chuckled softly and waved as she turned to leave. Once she was out of sight, I sighed heavily, gingerly touching my injury. It was now or never. I knocked on the door softly, yet got no response. Was he asleep? I knocked a little louder. There was some movement coming from inside and a groan.

"What now?" asked an annoyed voice.

So abrupt...I shook my head and took a deep breath.

"It's me. Can I come in?"

There was a few minutes of silence. For a moment, I thought maybe he decided to ignore me.

"Come in."

I twisted the knob and the door creaked open. The first thing I noticed was the state he was in. His torso was bandaged and on his arm was a sling. Several purplish blue bruises littered his body.

"Um...hi," I said softly.

Ryan nodded slightly, though his face was contoured a bit with pain. I also detected a bit of guiltiness in his eyes.

"Uh, hey."

I bit my lip and glanced at the chair beside him.

"Can I...sit down?"

He nodded and I quickly sat down, only to stand up again after a long silence.

"There's something I need to tell you!" the two of us chorused.

Well...this was awkward. Ryan sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"You go first," he said softly.

Here it was. The moment of truth.

"I'm sorry!"

He looked on with confusion.

"For what? You haven't done anything wrong."

I flushed slightly.

"What I mean is...thanks for saving me."

He nodded awkwardly.

"Um...No problem. But what's up with these weird signals?"

I sighed heavily.

"Okay...well, it's ah...kind of hard to say this but..."

He looked at me expectantly.

"...The whole relationship thing was a lie. Kyoya and I were never going out. It was just a...a ploy."

He looked on blankly for a moment and then he looked at his lap.

"I...see."

I knew he was hurt. No doubt about that. He looked like he was going to say something but I stopped him.

"Um. Before you say anything, I still have a few things to discuss with you."

He stayed silent, and I was glad that he was cooperating. I looked out the window and then back at him. His attentiveness was starting to get to me. Here he was looking at me with maybe a flicker of hope and I was about to crush it.

"I remember when we were kids we would always play pretend and have so many 'adventures'...we always had fun, right? And how we were like glue until...well you know. You changed so much back then. I was scared...And then when I reject you, you still don't let up. You even follow me to Japan. Well, all this 'courting' or whatever you're trying to accomplish is all in vain. You see, there's someone I truly care about right now. And sadly...that isn't you. I'm sorry you wasted your time on me...And it probably won't make you feel better to know I want the both of us to return to becoming friends again."

I shut my eyes, unable to truly look at him. There was a light chuckle released into the silence. I opened my eyes with surprise. Was he...laughing? Ryan's face was downcast. I inched closer to take a better look at his face.

"R...Ryan?"

Little droplets fell across his lap.

"So that's how it is, huh? Damn. I must look like an idiot right now. I shoulda seen this coming a mile away, huh?" he whispered.

I felt my chest tighten as I stood and watched the tears fall across his face. I wrapped my arms around him, unable to bear his hurt expression.

"I'm sorry..."

The tears silently fell upon my shoulder as he tightened the grip upon me.

"I'm going back home..."

I pulled away to look at him face to face.

"What? Why?" I questioned.

His icy colored eyes seemed to soften some.

"My dad. He wants me to come back. Something about missing me."

The certain relief I thought I would feel once he uttered those words didn't exactly come. It was a bit of a mixture. But I knew this was the right choice. That's where he belonged. Beside his family.

"I see."

He nodded and the scrubbed at his face.

"Anyway...I wanna apologize too. It's partly my fault those girls were bullying you. I just couldn't stand seeing the two of you together!"

Though I wouldn't say it out loud, I suspected as much. But...the whole fiasco would be over once we made an 'official announcement' of breaking up. (with Kyoya that is)

"Does that mean...you've finally given up?"

He averted my gaze for the longest moment, as if mulling it over and finally he sighed. He stared back at me with sadness.

"Yes. After this almost death experience, I've come to realized what I was doing was wrong. You could have been killed and all over my jealousy. I guess it was just never meant to be."

That's when relief flooded over me. Finally! After five years, this had finally been resolved. A genuine smile fell across my face.

"I'm glad."

He hesitated for a moment.

"Can you do me this one favor?"

The smile fell from my face.

"And what would that be?"

He shut his eyes and gazed back with a light blush.

"A kiss."

I frowned slightly.

"But I though-" I began.

He cut me off.

"Just this once and I'll never ask anything from you again. No tricks! I promise. That way I can find closure..."

I sighed softly and weighed the pros and cons. I resigned myself to his request.

"Fine."

I drew my face closer to his and I planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. I gave him a quick hug and pulled away. There was a gentle knock on the door before a nurse walked in.

"Excuse me...But visiting hours will be over in a few minutes."

I took that as a sign to take my leave. Ryan groaned softly. I laughed softly.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" I said softly.

He nodded with a light smile.

"You too okay."

I turned to leave and made it to the door before I heard my name again.

"Yes?"

A serious expression fell across Ryan's face.

"About this special guy...Do I know him?"

I giggle softly.

"Yeah."

That's the only hint I gave him before I left feeling a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders.

* * *

12/24/11 11:30 pm

**Phew! Finally, the chapter is complete. This chapter drained me...but it had to be done! As you can tell, things are winding down and coming to a conclusion! Maybe two chapters at the most. (I thought I could finish it in one...but still a few things things that need to be resolved. Thanks for being patient with me! Sakuya's boy problems have subsided, but the hot topic now is her parents and a few surprises will come along the way. Stay tuned!**


	21. Forgiveness

**Yukihime211 here, once again after a long hiatus! Also, be prepared for my trademark long chapters. Better get comfortable, because it may take a while to finish reading. :D**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own OC's. Ouran belongs to Bisco. Sorry if the characters are a bit OOC. Just a heads up, my writing might not be up to par as it used to be since it's been far too long since I've really written in this. Also, my style somewhat changed through the chapter. ((That's because I already had about a quarter finished for a while now, then set it aside for a while and decided to pick it up again))**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Forgiveness? **

I silently walked out of the hospital, only to bump into Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Uh...Hi you two," I said awkwardly.

The two stared at me silently for the longest time.

"Is something the matter?"

Hikaru was the first to speak.

So...how'd it go?"

A soft smile crossed my features

"Much better than expected...Ryan, he's finally given up."

A breath of relief echoed softly and Hikaru wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Good to know that guy finally knows his place."

I bit my lip slightly.

"I should probably get going soon. It's getting late."

The two nodded and Kaoru smiled slightly.

"We'll give you a ride home."

I hesitated for a moment before declining.

"No...It's okay. There's something else I need take care of first."

The two of them looked at me curiously, but let it slide.

"Fine...But you know, I thought you said that you'd at least try to fill us in on what's going on," remarked Hikaru.

I knew that! But it was better said than done...I bid them farewell and headed for my next stop that day.

* * *

Kyoya had returned home with a sigh. He had gotten word that someone had managed to retrieve classified information from one of the computers at school. The investigators were positive that the one who had infiltrated the system was a student. However, finding the culprit seemed to be a difficult task. Kyoya although, had an idea on the whereabouts of the person.

His phone began ringing incessantly and he couldn't help but sigh. With a quick flick, he answered the call.

"Hello?"

There seemed to be a long pause, before the caller answered.

"It's me. Look, I think we need to talk," the female voice responded.

It was about time that the call was made. As much as he didn't want to admit it, this was something essential he had to do.

"Let's meet up somewhere and we can discuss this more in detail," he arranged.

A quick affirmation was said and the two hung up.

* * *

Tamaki sat in a desk, scanning through the papers which were confiscated from the girls that had been bullying Sakuya. It was all basic information such as her birthdate, place, parents and such. However, something quickly caught his eye when he came across a document that didn't exactly seem relevant.

"That's weird..." he mumbled.

He continued reading it, his curiosity getting the best of him. As his eyes fully scanned the paper, his eyes widened with shock. He stood up abruptly from the desk, and one of the secretaries looked at Tamaki curiously.

"Is something the matter Suoh-san?" she questioned.

He didn't respond, merely exited the door, his mind swirling with questions. But one of them that stuck out the most was, "Why?" As he walked off, he could vaguely hear the secretary insisting he return, but his mind traveled elsewhere.

He wasn't sure if he should inform the others, as this wasn't exactly their business, but then again shouldn't they all get to know what was really going on with the usually tight lipped hostess? For now, all he knew was that he needed to speak to Sakuya personally. Otherwise, he wasn't sure if he was capable of staying silent.

He whipped out his cell phone, speed dialing Sakuya as he unconsciously walked through the hallway leading towards the sports club section.

/0/0/0

* * *

It was time to come home. There was no more use hiding. At least, that's what Kou tried to tell himself. It had been forever since he decided to end his 'business trips' and pay a visit to his beloved wife. Though, as he watched the days go by and his own body aging...he wasn't so sure anymore if it really made a difference. There was so many times where he had convinced himself it was time to let her go.

Yet, whenever he set his eyes on her, he couldn't seem to bring himself to do so. Five years was a long time...In those five years so much had changed. His strained relationship with their daughter, obtaining a rather hefty fortune (but that seemed irrelevant now) , and so much more...

He walked towards the hotel's balcony and gazed outside, where several neon signs flickered. He looked back and grabbed his suitcase when he got the call that a car was waiting outside to take him to the airport.

0/0/0

* * *

Haruhi walked home with several bags in hand. They were having a sale at the supermarket that day, yet she couldn't help but worry about Sakuya. That girl always seemed to get into trouble somehow; unintentionally of course, but still.

She finally reached the apartments and entered her home, where her father sat with a newspaper in hand. Now that she thought about it, Sakuya kind of had it hard with her dad. Sure, her dad could be a little...odd. But at least she knew he loved her.

On cue, Ryoji set down his newspaper and hugged Haruhi.

"Haruhi~ Darling, I haven't seen you in forever."

He worked late hours at a...well at a bar. So he always treasured the times he could spend and see her.

"I saw you just a few hours ago..." she said with a sigh.

Ryoji, or as the drag queen called himself, Ranka released her. He waved his hand slightly.

"Technically, but we hardly spent any time together," he pouted.

She set down the groceries and started putting them away in their place.

"What do you want for dinner?" she asked absently.

Ryoji blinked and gazed at Haruhi intently.

"Is something the matter?"

Haruhi looked up at her father with curiosity.

"Why do you think something is the matter?" she questioned.

Ryoji crossed his arms slightly. Haruhi sighed once more, knowing it was no use trying to hide it anymore.

"I know it's not any of my business... but I have this friend who has daddy issues."

Had she actually said 'daddy issues'? That was serious business. Ryoji sat down and motioned her to do the same.

"I think we all have some sort of complex. What makes this different?"

Well, actually now that she thought about it, what had suddenly brought the thought back to her? Could it possibly be because that seemed to be the pinnacle of the problems that always seemed to follow Sakuya?

"Well, I've heard of overprotective parents, but her dad seems to take that to the next level. I'm not exactly sure, but I think he's has someone feeding him information about her whereabouts and almost never letting her out on her own. Though, the weird thing is, even if he is all 'protective' I can't help but feel like there's something more under that. Like some overbearing tension is constantly hovering over the two. Like, her house is void of any pictures of family whatsoever. Sakuya's my friend and everything, but I get the feeling she's hiding a lot more than meets the eye," she explained.

Haruhi definitely had a knack for analyzing these sorts of things, even though not so much when it came to her own problems.

Ryoji rubbed his chin, nodded as he listened to her quietly. He made his own observations after a moment.

"It sounds to me like this happens to be a lot more complicated than I thought. My guess is that her father feels some sort of guilt, or shame over something that has to do with the past," he assessed.

Haruhi nodded, the same feeling that she seemed to get.

"Maybe you should try talking to her about it; one on one to finally get the scoop on what's wrong."

Haruhi had inkling, but it was best to follow her father's advice on this one. She had a gnawing feeling that it had to do with Sakuya's mother as she recalled the talk about the accident. There were some holes in her story that didn't always sit well with her.

0/0/0

I stepped out of the car, turning off my cell phone so it wouldn't serve as a distraction whilst I had a serious meeting.

As I entered the quiet café, I scanned the area in search of Kyoya. I instantly found him, whispers of his 'handsomeness' filtering the area.

I rolled my eyes and sat across from him.

"Hey…"

He nodded slightly, but then got right to the point.

"Alright, what is it that you'd like to talk about?"

I sighed and knew this wasn't going to be easy.

"Let's break up," I said in a rush.

Kyoya arched a brow curiously.

"I assume you've finally taken care of Ryan?"

I nodded, shutting my eyes tight as I awaited his answer.

"Alright... How would you like to make this 'break up' public?

What? Did I just hear right? I opened my eyes in disbelief. Well, that was easy.

"You mean… you're letting me off just like that?"

A light smirk played on his lips.

"Oh, would you like me to make this more difficult for you? Well if you-," he began.

I shook my head with widened eyes.

"No, no, no! I-I didn't mean it like that. I was just… surprised is all…"

He adjusted his glasses before staring at me with a slight frown.

"Don't flatter yourself. Did you actually believe that I had _feelings_ for you?"

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment and anger.

"Of course I didn't! You, cold and unkind… The mere thought brings chill down my back," I countered back hotly.

He chuckled lightly and I couldn't help but rub my arms to keep the goose bumps away.

"Right… Enough of that though. As I was saying, the ploy still has one final task to accomplish and that's to put up an act of how the 'break up' came to be. Now, care to share your ideas? Or is it safe to assume that _I_ should come up with the plan?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my temper.

"Look, you don't have to be so rude. If I had known that you were going to be so grouchy, I should have just asked one of the twins to do this instead of being coaxed into choosing you…" I muttered.

A dark aura seemed to surround Kyoya, but then passed. I waited expectantly for his response. Actually, I had completely overlooked his question about a 'breakup plan' and honestly, I wasn't so sure what was such a big deal. If anything, the stupid Kyoya fan girls would finally leave me in peace.

"You realize that if we don't think of this delicately, not only will it not make things better with the bullying, it would likely make it worse."

I paled at the thought.

"Then what do you suggest?"

Kyoya was smug and I couldn't help but gulp with nervousness. This was definitely not good…

0/0/0

Tamaki cursed under his breath, something he hardly did. Why hadn't she picked up?

"Come on Sakuya, where are you?"

As he walked through the hallways, he suddenly bumped into Hunny, who was attired in a karate suit. Even after the incident, he still had matters to take care of back at school.

"Tama, what's the matter?"

Tamaki looked on apologetically.

"Sorry Hunny! Uh, I've got to go," he explained.

Before he got any further, Hunny grabbed a hold of Tamaki's wrist, making sure he went no further.

"Tamaki…"

Tamaki turned back towards Hunny, and sighed. He had no choice…

_"I'm sorry Sakuya,"_ he thought silently.

0/0/0

Kaoru surfed through tons of channels, lost in thought. A large part of him was finally glad that the Ryan incident had finally passed. Yet, another part was wondering what would come next. He knew very well that this wasn't exactly the end of his troubles; or rivals. As much as Kyoya would probably deny it, he had feelings for Sakuya, just as he did. And then there was Hikaru.

He was the most complicated of the situation. Kaoru had watched the jealous outbursts Hikaru had made when Ryan was putting the moves on Sakuya. And being his brother, he could tell these signs meant that he liked Sakuya as well. How ironic that the twins, that shared pretty much everything had fallen for the same girl.

Kaoru really liked Sakuya, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to go up against his brother for her. It would just cause a lot of strain, something he didn't want.

"Hey Kaoru!"

Kaoru nearly leapt out of his seat and turned towards the source. Hikaru looked at him with confusion, his hair still a bit wet from just exiting the shower.

"Yeah?"

Hikaru pointed towards the bathroom.

"The bath's ready if you're planning on bathing," he explained.

Kaoru smiled, hiding the fact that he was still a little distracted. He grabbed the towel sitting beside him and turned towards the bathroom.

"Thanks," he merely replied.

Hikaru nodded, still looking at him oddly.

"You okay?"

Kaoru froze in place for a moment before turning towards his brother.

"Just peachy, why?"

Hikaru stood silent, and started toweling his hair.

"Uh, no reason. Don't stay too long in there, okay?"

Kaoru nodded and shut the door behind him, leaving behind a still mystified Hikaru.

"What's up with him?"

0/0/0

I finally got back home, where Yoneko was waiting for me expectantly. I looked at her curiously.

"Is something the matter?" I asked curiously.

She smiled tentatively.

"Well… my wedding is coming up and I was wondering if you'd… be willing to be my maid of honor."

Had time passed so quickly? Well… I didn't know if I could bare it. Shutting my eyes tight I willed myself to smile.

"O-of course I will."

She squealed, as if she couldn't be any happier. Sure I was happy for her, but it would still be really hard to part with her after she was left to care for me for quite some time now.

"Oh, you'll look so cute in the baby blue dress I have in store for the other maids," she said happily.

She went on and on about some other stuff, but I sort of tuned out. That is, until she brought up a very important thing. "Well, now that I think of it, you're going to need a date to go with. Do you have anyone in mind or are you planning on making your fake hubby escort you?"

I nearly froze in place when she brought up Kyoya. She tilted her head, looking at me curiously. "Dear? Are you alright?"

I managed a smile as I unfroze and nodded. "Yeah… do I have an option to go alone? I don't exactly want to deal with those sorts of things right now…"

I didn't want to deal with anymore fake, obsessive, or delusional boyfriends. Not that I ever had one to begin with. Yoneko crossed her arms sighing slightly. "What happened this time? Honestly, it's always something when it comes to those boys."

I sat down on the couch, reclining back. "Do you have to ask? Can't we just leave it at that?"

Yoneko stared at me expectantly as she waited for me to crack. I willed myself not to look in her direction and ignore the stare. I grabbed a stray magazine and pretended to read, even though I could still feel her gaze boring into me.

I stood up from the couch. "I'll be in my room," I said casually. One of the only ways I could escape her was to hightail it out of there before I cracked; I was determined not to. Yoneko sighed softly.

"Alright, you can have it your way," she said with defeat.

0/0/0

The next morning should have been an ordinary school day, but it was far from it. When Hunny had contacted the rest of the club members, much to Tamaki's dismay… there seemed to be a solemn expression on the cheerful third year's face. One that not even Mori could cheer up. He had asked everyone to gather in the host club earlier that morning to discuss what Tamaki had discovered. Sakuya was unaware of what was about to happen. Hikaru yawned as he entered the classroom with Kaoru trailing behind him.

"So what's so important that you'd ask us to get to school an hour earlier than usual?" he complained slightly. Kaoru too, looked at them inquisitively. Yet there was something in the atmosphere that made him think that the meeting wasn't going to be a happy one.

"M'lord?" questioned Kaoru. Tamaki wouldn't even look at them as he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Obviously, he wasn't very happy to give them the news either. Kyoya too, looked on skeptically. Normally Tamaki would tell him everything, but this time he hadn't said a word.

"Do tell. I hate being out of the loop," noted Kyoya, who was surprisingly not sticking his nose in his little black book, phone, or laptop.

"And where's Sakuya? If we're having an important meeting, shouldn't she be here too?" said Hikaru suddenly.

Hunny bit his lip as he looked at them with a serious expression. "That's why we called up this meeting. It's about Saa-chan," he explained.

The room fell silent. Sakuya? What had happened this time? As far as everyone was concerned, the whole Ryan issue had finally been resolved. Not to mention that Kyoya and Sakuya's relationship was going to be publicly broken this afternoon.

"What do you mean Hunny-senpai?" asked Haruhi with a serious expression written on her face. She had arrived to their emergency meeting a little late since there was a delay in the subway. At the moment, that didn't seem very important. What was important was to find out what was going on with Sakuya and why did Hunny look so grave?

It was then Tamaki's turn to speak up. "Well… you know how Sakuya ran off and got injured? We all know that she was being bullied for a few weeks now, despite her attempts to hide it from us. Well on that day, there were a group of girls threatening her with personal information. It was supposed to be classified but somehow they got their hands on it. And well… I managed to confiscate the manila folder with her information. I know it's considered a violation of privacy, but as the Chairman's son, it is my duty to oversee these sorts of issues," he explained, somewhat guiltily.

"And… what's the big secret?" asked Hikaru. He already knew Sakuya had trouble talking about her past to them, but she had promised she would eventually. That day had yet to come. He was starting to believe that the day would be too far away for them to reach. He hated how she constantly pushed them away.

"Take a look…" said Hunny as he spread out the contents of the manila folder.

0.0.0

I yawned, finally arriving to the school. I was a little surprised when I hadn't gotten word from the others. Usually I'd be riding with the twins to school, or 'talking strategy' with Kyoya but it was silent on both ends today. I stepped out of the car, passing the gates as my classmates strolled along the courtyard. I scanned the area for any signs of Haruhi and the twins, but was disappointed when I found no sign of them. "Weird…" I mumbled to myself.

I had entered the hallways absently, nearly bumping into one of the students. "Hey, if you don't watch where you're going… One of these days you're going to end up running into a wall." I looked up, gazing at Yasuchika Haninozuka; Hunny's younger brother.

A smirk formed on my lips. "Why hello to you too, Chika. What have you been up to lately? How's your secret obsession with baby chicks going along?" I teased, raising my voice at the last part.

Chika's face burned up and he adjusted his glasses slightly. He leaned closer to me and hissed, "Will you kindly shut up." I couldn't help but laugh. He was just too cute sometimes when he got flustered.

"Okay, okay. I'll be good," I said feeling like my spirits had been raised a bit.

Chika sighed heavily. "You can be such a handful sometimes…" he said under his breath. I caught the sentence just fine though.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked indignantly with hands on my hips. Uh, hello? I'm supposed to be the upperclassman here.

Chika rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it again. "You know what… forget I said anything, okay? It's too much trouble to try explaining it to you without you getting offended," he explained.

That certainly piqued my interest. Removing my hands from my hips and a firm expression written on my face, I wasn't about to let this go. "What do you mean without me getting offended?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

0/0/0

Chika flinched. Had he actually said that out loud?! And right in front of Sakuya too?! Now he was in deep… with no real way out of explaining himself. If there was a time where he wished he wasn't so blunt, that would be today. Despite Sakuya's calm disposition, he could practically see the cogs in her brain working to process what he had just said. He'd never really seen her 'angry' per se and he wasn't keen on finding out either. Before he could stop himself, his mouth started running off again.

"See! Right there… You're doing it right now and I haven't even said anything! You're constantly causing trouble for everyone. Like taking things way too personally, to getting tangled up with some creep, bullies, and getting pneumonia! Everyone's got a keep a close eye on you or you'll end up nearly run over!"

Sakuya's mouth hung slightly ajar. Is that the impression she had given off about herself to him? Did everyone else think the same way too? She knew she could be a little… difficult. But it wasn't like she had tried getting into trouble intentionally! It was just that… trouble always seemed to follow her. Like karma; karma for her mother's current state. She shook her head. No. She couldn't allow herself to succumb to wallow. Kaoru had made sure to make that clear to her.

"Oh…" was all she could muster. It wasn't like she could counter what Chika had just told her. Not when he was actually spot on. Chika looked up from the floor to look back at the girl, whose energy had deflated.

"Uh, look I didn't… What I mean is-," he began.

Sakuya held a hand to stop him. She shook her head. "No… you made it perfectly clear what you thought about me… Heh. Who knew that having someone point out your flaws could be this hard to swallow? A ha ha ha… funny thing is, I can't argue with you there! It's just kind of eye opening…" she trailed.

Her own gaze traveled to the shiny floors of the hall. The hallways were filled with the constant beat of shoes against tile. The sound nearly drowned out her lowered voice. A few students stared at them curiously, before being herded back to class by teachers. Chika gazed back at her, guilt ridden. The bell chimed.

"I'd better… get back to class," was all he mumbled before turning away so he wouldn't create any more damage. He left Sakuya to stand in the middle of the hallway.

She looked like a statue, glued to the middle of the hallway like a lonely ornament. The only movement resided from her long hair, which fluttered in accordance to the breeze created by the hall's recipients. It was only after the hallways were nearly cleared that Sakuya made any notion of moving from her place.

0.0.0

"Mazaki residence," said Yoneko automatically as she made a grab for the phone. It was odd for the mansion to ever get a house call. The only person she could think that would call them was… She scoffed internally. Right! _Him_ calling about good news was as likely as pigs flying.

"It's me," replied a gruff male voice.

Yoneko nearly dropped the phone, fumbling quickly before securing her hold on it.

"Mazaki-sama!" she exclaimed in bewilderment.

0.0.0

I entered the classroom, taking my place in my seat as class was about to start. I looked around, spotting the twins and Haruhi sitting in their respective seats. I smiled back at them when I was sure I had caught their eye, but instead of returning the smile, they merely looked away. The smile fell from my lips. What was going on here? Had I done something wrong? Or had something bad happened? I didn't have time to delve too much on the subject when the teacher began the lesson for the day.

After classes had let out for lunch, I made my way over towards the twins and Haruhi. The other students were on their way to the cafeteria, leaving the classroom practically empty.

"Hey guys. Where were you this morning? I was looking all over for you," I said once I reached the three. Their expressions looked practically unreadable and they had yet to respond to my question.

"Guys?" I asked once more, as I got closer to them. They had heard me… right? Kaoru was the first to look at me; although it was with a saddened expression on his face. "What's going on?" I could feel the air around me thicken with anticipation and dread.

"Why?" asked Hikaru suddenly, staring down at his clenched fists. His bangs hid his expression, though I could see him tremble slightly.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. Why? Why what? Why is he looking so solemn? Why is everyone looking so solemn?! Had I done something wrong? Why were they treating me like this? These questions swirled around me, but I could hardly find the answer to it.

"Why didn't you tell us about what really happened to your mother?" Haruhi finally asked.

I immediately feel like someone had punched the air out of me. How many more people knew about this? Had that crazy fan girl spread the word to others? Was that why they were acting like this? I backed up slightly.

"H-how-," I began. I heard a few pairs of footsteps enter the classroom and quickly turned toward the source. I blinked several times as I stared back at Tamaki, Kyoya, Hunny, and Mori.

"Trying to run away from our confrontation, eh? You do that a lot, don't you?" noted Kyoya as he adjusted his glasses. They were in on this too?! Somewhere in the back of my mind, I could feel the walls beginning to crumble before me. It left me feeling exposed; utterly vulnerable to their judgmental looks.

"I-I…" I was unable to produce any more words. Tensing slightly, I could feel a sense of claustrophobia wash over me. They had blocked my means of escape, meaning I had no choice but to listen to them. The sound of palms slamming against desk rattled me back into awareness. Hikaru had risen from his desk, glaring down at it.

"It was stupid of me to believe you'd actually open up to us…" said Hikaru as he looked up with a look of disgust on his face. "No matter how hard we try to gain your trust, it'll never be enough for you, will it?!"

I flinched at his tone but stood my ground. My heart was racing and at that very moment I wished that the ground would swallow me up whole. A disappointed expression crossed Hunny's face.

"Didn't you feel lonely, keeping these burdens to yourself? I thought… I thought we were good friends. And friends are supposed to rely on each other… Through thick and thin…"

I looked over at Tamaki, who had been quiet the whole time. Guilt flashed through his expression before he turned away. He… he had gotten a hold of my information, hadn't he? It made sense, being the chairman's son and all. But it pained me to know that he had been responsible for letting everyone know.

"And you thought it was alright to look through my files to find out?" I asked accusingly. It wasn't fair that I was on the cutting board while they were just as guilty of doing something that they knew they had no right in doing.

"You didn't give us much of a choice, now did you?" said Hikaru crisply. Kaoru looked like he wanted to say something, but kept silent. He had already known half of my story, but I had made him promise not to tell anyone else. Still… the other half must have rattled him pretty hard.

"Were you ashamed? Was that why you kept this all a secret?" observed Haruhi. She didn't look at me with scorn or anger. If anything, she was asking me calmly, trying to figure me out. The inquisitive nature made me feel like she was a detective interviewing a criminal suspect.

"We just want to understand your reasons a little better," mumbled Tamaki.

The intercom suddenly crackled to life. "Will Sakuya Mazaki from class 1-A please report to the administrator's office please? Sakuya Mazaki to the administrator's office; your father is waiting to pick you up."

"Well, isn't _that_ a convenient coincidence," noted Hikaru sarcastically. Kaoru bit his lip. "Hikaru… don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" he asked uncomfortably. Hikaru scoffed. "What? Don't think she can face the truth? Well she's long due for a reality check! I'm surprised it took us this long though. Would've saved us a lot of trouble…"

I grabbed my things without so much as looking at them and then reached the door, where Mori was currently standing guard. "I need to get through," I said softly. Mori turned to Kyoya and Tamaki who both nodded. After he moved out of my way, I ran out of the room.

My face flushed and I could hear my heart thudding against my chest. My life was officially over… I had unceremoniously managed to make my friends hate me. All because I was stupid enough to believe I could run away from my past. To continuously push away my friends at an arm's length; living in guilt and fear of being rejected.

Well, I had managed to make my worst nightmare come true. Yoneko was leaving, I had lost my closest friends, and everyone knew the truth now. I had never truly felt this alone since I had returned to Japan last year. Perhaps… this was the end of my school days at Ouran; the school where I had made the most amazing memories.

0.0.0

The host club members watched as Sakuya had rushed out of the room the moment the opportunity had arisen. The seven stood in silence. "Hikaru… I know you're mad, but I have to agree with Kaoru. You were way out of hand. I'm just as disappointed that she couldn't see us as confidants… Although I guess I can see where she's coming from by keeping this a secret," Haruhi said, finally breaking the silence.

"Does she really think we're shallow enough to care about social status? I mean, we're friend with Haruhi for crying out loud," said Hikaru, opting for ignoring Haruhi.

Haruhi rolled her eyes, sighing. "Gee… how thoughtful of you…" Hikaru really needed to learn how to use the word known as tact. Well, all the members did, really. Hikaru just needed to learn how to use that word the most.

Hunny looked ready to cry. "Do you think Saa-chan will come back to school after this?" he asked worriedly. He had only spoken what was on his mind. Kyoya sat in one of the empty desks, sighing.

"In all honesty, I have no idea. Judging by her expression, I wouldn't be surprised if she thought it would be the best solution to up and transfer to a new school. All the other times, she would stay home from school until Kaoru went out and talked to her."

Everyone turned to Kaoru, who froze in place. Kyoya was well-informed, wasn't he? Kaoru couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head. "It's not like I did anything extraordinary or anything…" he mumbled. In all honestly, he wanted to keep that as secret as possible from Hikaru.

"I… I don't want to lose Sakuya-chan," said Tamaki shifting guiltily. If only he hadn't run into Hunny or come across the manila folder. It was never his intention to drive Sakuya away.

Hikaru didn't seem swayed. "Typical. I bet the next school she enrolls into, she'll do the exact thing," he grumbled.

Kaoru was starting to get a little fed up with Hikaru's attitude. He didn't really mean that, did he? Not when he liked Sakuya just as much as him. He was just angry, betrayed even. All of them felt like that, but that didn't mean they never wanted to see her again.

"You can't mean that," said Mori.

Hikaru scowled as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Oh I do! With all my heart! I'll be happy if I never see her again!" he exclaimed. "I don't understand why you all aren't as angry! You think anything will change after she comes back? As far as we know, she'll come back with a new set of secrets she'll keep hidden from us!"

Kaoru marched over to Hikaru and struck him across the face. "Hikaru, that's enough!" The room was filled with surprise. Has Kaoru… just done that? To his own brother no less? The two were known for their play fights, but this was not such an occasion. Kaoru was seriously pissed at Hikaru. Kaoru's chest heaved a few times as he tried to cool down. Warmth spread over the hand he had used to strike Hikaru as it turned a dark shade of pink.

Hikaru placed a hand where his brother had struck him, eyes widened with shock. The imprint of his brother's hand was clearly evident. "K-Kao-chan?" said Hunny carefully. He slowly walked towards the younger twin.

"Don't! Don't come any closer Hunny! I'm fine! If anyone needs a reality check, it's you Hikaru. You're acting like a spoiled two year old that just broke their toy out of spite. Okay, Sakuya didn't exactly tell us about her past, so what? Are you seriously going to throw away your friendship because of it? We're shaped by our pasts that much is true… but our past is only a fraction of who we are! There's so much more to a person; their kindness, their likes, their dislikes, their ever-changing personality, and most of all, their friends. You can't say that all of those memories we had with her are all for nothing! Let that sink in for a moment, and then maybe you'll come to realize that you're making a stupid mistake in pushing Sakuya away!"

Tamaki couldn't help smile at Kaoru. "Now… when did you become so mature?" he murmured as he watched the scene play out.

0.0.0

I sat in the car, my father sitting just across from me. When I had arrived to the Administrator's office, he was already there for me patiently. When I studied him, I noticed his eyes looked so tired… It was like he had given up on everything. Even after we had left the school, I had no idea what was going on in his mind and as to why he had decided to pull me out of school at that very moment. He would never come to my school personally.

Ever since mom's accident it had always been someone else who would come to my open house meetings, or my orientation. But now… here was before me without giving me so much as a clue on what he was doing back from his business trip.

We stopped at a stoplight before taking a right. My face scrunched up in confusion. This wasn't the way back home. "Uh… where are we going?" I managed to ask.

He sighed heavily, almost as if he was dreading what he was about to tell me. "We're going to go visit your mother. I have some… business I need to discuss with her doctor," he explained. A wave of panic washed over me. He was going to talk to her doctor? He couldn't mean… This ominous air which blanketed the atmosphere made me realize something dreadful.

I couldn't even form the words I wanted to ask the most. I didn't want to believe it! I didn't even want to think about it, but what else could it be!? Sure there had been very small signs of improvement, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was waking up anytime soon. Five years had already gone by. How many more would we wait until we'd give up? I balled my hands into small fists, pressing them to my ears and shut my eyes tight.

"And I think it's time we put our differences aside; at least for your mother's sake," he explained.

I pulled away the hands from my ears and then opened my eyes as I stared back at him with scorn. "Oh, it took you this long to say this to me?! Do you know how much I suffered because of you? How I felt after you rejected me as your own daughter because of what happened to mom? Being told that if I hadn't been so rebellious that this would have never happened? To be hated by my father! To become isolated from the world?! The people you hired to care for me were the only family I could ever truly feel loved by! And you'd continue to run away from me! Now all of a sudden you expect me to forget all of the hurt I've felt until now and forgive you? Oh wait… you never asked for forgiveness! All you asked for was a truce…"

My father growled with frustration. "That's not what I meant! I know what I've done up until now was wrong… and I can't even expect you to forgive me after all this time. I just want… I just want things to go back to how they were…" he murmured the last part. I looked away, directing my gaze out the window.

"Things will never be the same again…" I said, my voice trembling. "Both of us made sure of that a long time ago…" I could clearly taste the bitterness in my words. If I had paid more attention earlier, I would have noticed the hurt expression on my father's face. "That's what I was afraid of…" he whispered.

The rest of the car ride was silent. He parked into the visitor's area and the both of us stepped out of the car, heading towards the hospital. I feared that this would be the last time we would ever set foot on these grounds.

0.0.0

Hikaru and Kaoru sat on opposite ends of the room, trading spots with their classmates after lunch break had ended. The other students murmured with one another, trying to figure out what they had missed during lunch period that had led to the two fighting. Not even Haruhi could placate this situation on her own.

It was up to the brothers to get back on good terms. Well, she had to side with Kaoru in this argument. Even if he had taken some rather… extreme measures to make Hikaru understand. Hopefully Hikaru took this time to reflect on what he had said previously. Kaoru's had made clear what the other members had speculated was going on. Kaoru had feelings for Sakuya. Whether Hikaru had gotten the message back there or not, she didn't know. All she could do now was wait and see how things played out.

Kaoru had trouble concentrating during class as lessons continued on like normal. Not with Sakuya gone. He worried that she really would transfer out. Not to mention the fact that it had been her father that had come to get her. As far as he was concerned, maybe Sakuya's father had decided to move them out of Japan altogether! He wouldn't be able to bare that. He hadn't even gotten a chance to tell her how he felt about her.

Hikaru's actions had infuriated him, and he wasn't going to allow him to continue badmouthing Sakuya. She didn't deserve that. Not after all she had suffered up until now. It was reckless of him, but he didn't regret it. Hikaru had needed someone to open his eyes and realize his mistake.

Gauze was taped to the side of Hikaru's cheek, where Kaoru had smacked him. Hikaru still couldn't wrap his mind around what had just happened. Kaoru had never struck him before. The two hardly ever got into arguments… but this time it was different. He was still clouded with anger, but it had subsided some. He wasn't going to forgive Sakuya too easily… but Kaoru had a point. He didn't _really_ want to see her leave. Maybe this weird vibe he had felt around Kaoru these past few months was all due to Sakuya? Kaoru would never get this hyped up, no matter how harsh Hikaru was with others. He was starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together and he only needed a few more before the answer would be complete.

0.0.0

After my father had left to go talk to the doctor, I was left to do whatever I wanted until they finished their business. This time, I wasn't going to dawdle. Not when I knew what would happen after their discussion ended. After getting lost a couple of times, I finally made it to my mother's room. A new bouquet of flowers was set up at her bedside with a little card attached to it. I walked over and plucked it from his place. The card was simple, with a little flower crown picture in the front.

I flipped it over and my chest tightened as I read the message and realized that I knew the sender; very well actually. I nearly collapsed on the chair set up beside my comatose mother. My hands shook slightly and I knew that this was my limit. All the pent-up stress, all my emotions, all my regrets, all of my mistakes surfacing through and all it took was that stupid card.

It was then and there that I started bawling, like when I had when I was a little girl. Aching for the comfort only my parents could produce. I didn't want a substitute; I didn't want this feeling of emptiness, this feeling of abandonment! This utter feeling of loneliness I had carried for so many years… I just wanted my mother back! I needed her guidance, her unconditional love, and to hear her soothing voice once more. I had messed up so bad and no amount of money could ever make it better. I threw myself at her bedside, burying my face in her chest.

"I'm so sorry! It's my fault! I should have listened to you! None of this would have ever happened if you hadn't come running after me. If I hadn't run away daddy would still love me… We could have been happy together, the three of us! Just like before! I miss you! I miss you so much! I'm sorry I didn't visit as often as I should have, I'm sorry you had to miss so many birthdays… I'm sorry you never got a chance to meet my friends! I'm sorry I was selfish! Mama… I beg you, please forgive me!"

I continued to babble about how much I needed her now, how I had messed up, how I made my friend hate me, how I continued to run away from my past. This would be the last time I could finally unleash everything I had always wanted to keep to myself. The last time I would be able to inhale my mother's familiar scent, because I knew my father had finally given up hope. Keeping her in limbo like this was unfair… we were going to have to let her go. I wished with all my heart that she could hear me at this very moment. To feel her touch for one last time! I continued to bawl, dampening her hospital gown's front.

I could faintly hear her heart pulsing with artificial life rhythmically. If it wasn't for these machines, my mother would have been gone long ago. This only made me more miserable, knowing she would probably never wake up…

I paused as I suddenly felt my mother's hand twitch, shifting until it brushed up against my arm and then almost pat me soothingly. The heart monitor was beginning to go out of control and I quickly pulled back in alarm. "Mom?!" I exclaimed in disbelief. Hearing the commotion, a nurse entered the room and gasped.

"Oh God… Get the doctor over here, now!" she exclaimed frantically. More people began flooding the room, grabbing different utensils from a drawer. The same nurse pulled me away from my mother. "You need to get out of here," she instructed. What?! Leave now, but what was happening?! I could have sworn mom had touched me, but now they were kicking me out?

"Let go of me! Mom… mom moved!" I said, pushing her away as I attempted to get to my mother again. The doctor finally arrived and the room chattered nervously, talking about some medical book. The doctor took a look at me before turning to the nurses. "Get her out of here, now," he said sternly.

It was at that time that a large male nurse took a hold of me and dragged me out of the room. I was screaming. "No! Mom! It's me, Sakuya! Your daughter! I want to see my mother!" I screeched as I continued to struggle. I watched as they wheeled away my mother towards the intensive care unit. "Mom!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. My face was red and a new wave of tears drenched my face.

0.0.0

**Oh dear… things just got a lot more intense! D: Poor Sakuya… What will happen to her mother now? Will she be able to reconcile with her family and friends? And most of all… will Kaoru finally man up and confess? All these questions and more will be answered in the next chapter, where we'll finally come to a conclusion. Stay tuned! **

**A/N …It is now 3:33 am. I've been writing the lasts bits of this chapter for the last six hours and I promised myself I would finish this before classes started up again, and I did! I'm not sure when I'll be posting the last chapter, but hopefully soon. Oh, I'll be holding a little closing ceremony forum for this story pretty soon; where I not only thank my readers immensely for sticking through with this story, despite the obvious lack of updates recently, but also giving a little something in return. This will only apply to people who have favorited, alerted, or reviewed (or both/all of the above) my story. I'll probably hold something of a raffle and whichever name I pull out gets a one-shot of their Oc and a ouran member. Well, until next time! (Which hopefully won't end up with a 2 year hiatus like last time… ^^;)**


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